614 lines
32 KiB
Plaintext
614 lines
32 KiB
Plaintext
LIST
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FILE ON
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MARGIN IS 128
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STATUS: ALL ALLOWED
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NUMBER OF LINES: 605
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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask....
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2 ******************* REMOVED: 21 JAN 84 *********************
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3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator
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4 ************************************************************
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5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
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6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
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7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privatly owned
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8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
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9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
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10 privatly owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
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11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
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12 periodically purged of older messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
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13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
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14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
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15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
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16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
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17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
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18 ************************************************************
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19
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20 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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21 As always, the backroom remains cloaked in darkness, for it seems that
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22 the light is not on and the switch is nowhere to be found. Perhaps when
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23 the Innkeeper returns he will show me where it is. Or... Maybe PAM ?
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24 * Tarn *
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25 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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26 Emer? Hello? Anybody there?
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27
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28 Ouch! Damn table! Crash! Ouch!
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29 <sigh> I should have waited I guess.... Darn it! I think I
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30 broke a toenail. Gad it hurts!
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31 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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32 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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33 The piper felt the hairs lift on the back of his neck as the tension built.
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34 "(EXPLETIVE DELETED), I should have let it pass, but no......."
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35 "let's see if we can redirect some of this emotion before it gets out of
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36 hand. something light and danceable, i think..."
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37
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38 Keeping his eye on a rough-looking character in the corner --dusty, did he say
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39 his name was? -- the piper inflated his pipes and winded them with a short
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40 blow to the bag. A brief **honk** and the drones caught. The bass drone, the
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41 longest one that sat on his right shoulder
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42 wavered a little, he reached up with his left hand and twisted the top joint
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43 minutely. There! The purr of the bass drone now solidly underlay the twin
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44 hum of the two tenors. A quick run of the fingers over the chanter to check that
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45 the relationship is right. The two 3/4 note steps on the bagpipe scale sound
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46 sweet and natural to the pipers ears although he is used to seeing non-pipers
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47 wince as his fingers skip to the next note.
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48 The piper swung into a set of lively dance airs and felt the tension of the
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49 group diminish as feet tapped.
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50 He ended his set with a lively jig that even got that drunken fellow who had
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51 uttered the forbidden words dancing.
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52 To the piper's relief, at one point he stumbled and the dagger that he had
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53 loosed in his sheath slid behind the bar
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54 Moving quietly, the innkeeper placed the weapon out of the room for safekeeping.
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55 Stepping back from his set, the piper stepped close by the apprentice, and said
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56 quietly:
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57 "Please accept my apologys. I had though that subject was far enough in the
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58 past to allow oblique references to it.
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59 Unfortunately, it seems not. However, congratulations on your quick thinking."
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60 ----------------------------------------the piper-----------------------------
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61 ***************************************************************
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62 I love peanut butter sandwiches. In poorer times I once lived
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63 a week eating nothing else. I learned something from that.
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64 Even something as wonderful as peanut butter gets old when its
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65 the only thing you consume.
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66
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67 I've noticed lately that Backwater is taking on some of the
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68 characteristics of a peanut butter binge. Same style, same
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69 flavor, same personality. Good stuff, in itself, but adding
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70 meat to the fare might make for a more balanced diet.
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71
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72 But where are the meat providers? What happened to their
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73 dazzling debates, their scinillating discussions, their
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74 pliable platitudes? The table is set, the diners ready, but
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75 there is no meat. Drat!
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76
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77 Does this mean a fantasy freak, a Grand Dragon Master no less,
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78 must compensate for their complacancy? Is reality to be left
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79 in the hands of the crazy drivel mongers they so verbally
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80 depore. Apparently so.
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81
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82 Let's get some discussion going.
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83 ====== TOPIC #1 ======
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84 Jonathan Preppie was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He
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85 was raised by nurturing parents who gave him every advantage
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86 money could buy. He went to the right schools, made the right
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87 friends, and became an important tax lawyer.
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88
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89 Though Jonathan was bright and well educated, the real success
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90 of his career was based on his contacts. He knew the right
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91 people in the right places and he could get things done with a
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92 minimum of actual work. As a result, Jonathan developed a
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93 lifestyle that was undemanding, self absorbing, and highly
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94 respectable. He was a model of success.
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95
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96 Randal Dreggs, on the other hand, was born into a poor family,
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97 had a deformed foot that made him walk funny, and was
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98 mildly retarded. His deformed foot and dumb sounding
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99 comments caused people to laugh at him, which made him with-
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100 drawn and self consious.
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101
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102 Randal was determined to make what he could of himself.
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103 Through vocational training he landed a job sorting electrical
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104 components. He created a circle of friends who liked him as he
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105 was. And he took good care of his dog, who was his best friend.
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106
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107 His life was a simple one but it met his needs. He was proud
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108 to hold a job when others, less handicapped than he, were l
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109 living in institutions for the retarded. He didn't contribute
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110 much to society, by Randall's standards, but he was honest,
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111 never hurt anyone, and he always did his best.
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112
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113 I ask you - What gives one life more value than another? In
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114 your value system is Jonathan better (or more successful) than
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115 Randal? Why?
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116
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117 What determines the value of a human life? Is it how much the
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118 person produced, their status, their social position? Or do
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119 you measure how far they've gone against where they started
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120 from?
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121 ====== TOPIC #2 ======
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122 About a mile from Lake Oswego, overlooking the Willamette, is
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123 an institution for the incarceration and treatment of severely
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124 emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children.
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125
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126 It is a modern building, quite attractive, that is
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127 specifically designed to be indestructable. It has inch and a
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128 half thick electronically controlled steel doors, shatter-
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129 proof glass throughout, and the entire building is treated
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130 to make it fireproof.
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131
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132 Furnature is heavy and tough, beds are attached to the walls,
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133 and no sharp objects or blunt instruments are found on the
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134 unit. It is a closed system. Children eat, sleep, and go to
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135 school on the premises.
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136
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137 At the center of all this is the QUIET ROOM. The quiet room
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138 is the modern day equivalent of the padded cell, except that
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139 modern fire regulations prohibit the padding.
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140
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141 The quiet room is ten foot square, has an inch and a half
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142 thick steel door, built in ceiling light, and a floor that
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143 gradually slopes to a drain in the middle. The room is
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144 painted a hideous shade of pink psychological researchers
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145 have determined has a calming effect. Or so they say.
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146
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147 Realizing that I haven't given you much to go on I'd like
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148 to pose some really tough questions.
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149
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150 My questions: Is it ever morally justified to throw a child
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151 into a quiet room? If not, why? If so, under what
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152 circumstances?
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153 ================
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154 OK, folks, those are my offerings. I know they're tough
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155 questions; I planned it that way. The easy questions draw
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156 easy answers. We've had enough of those.
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157
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158 Do you find either topic interesting enough to spark
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159 discussion? If not, what are you going to offer instead?
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160 Gary Olson
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161 *********************************************************
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162 Mr:. Olson: as to your first topic, I see no reason to try and determine which
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163 of the two is "better". Though I am not a cChristian (or a member of ANY
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164 organized religion), I believe Christ made an applicable comment. "Judge not,
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165 lest ye be judged." I
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166 #2: I'm not sure what the "right" answer to that one is. I do feel a
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167 that all such decisions (any need to be made on a case by case basis. I have
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168 insufficient data for coming up with a set of "guidelines". There MAY be
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169 circumstances that would justify putting a cxhild in a quiet room. Also,
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170 HOW LONG are we talking about? I can see little harm (to a "normal" child
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171 (whatever the hell, that is!) in being placed in one for 10-15 minutes. That
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172 is not to say that it is "right" to do so.
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173 By the way, have you seen what the "cells" used for juvenile offenders in
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174 some areas are like? About the same size as your "quiet room". Similar door,
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175 with a viewslot (with bolting cover) just large enough for a meal tray.
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176 Bunk is metal shelf that is part of wall. Light (ALWAYS on) is in corner near
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177 cieling. One piece sink-toilet. Oh, yes, the room is NOT square. The door is
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178 in one corner, the adjacent corner of that wall i"isn't there". IInstead there
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179 is a short wall section (imagine someone took a knife and cut off the corner).
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180 This is where the sink, etc are. This is so that you are ALWAYS visible thru
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181 the door (unless you are directly under the slot). The whole is painted what
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182 I think of as "hospital green" (like scrubs, if that helps). I spent a couple
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183 of days in one of these when I was 17 (loooong story, don't ask!) You are
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184 forbidden writing implements/materials. You can get reading materials only
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185 if you can talk them into letting you have some comic books (they grab a
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186 handful from a stack, I read the same 5 comics 12 times!). You are in the cell
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187 except at meals, an hour or so for anti-drug or other "health" films or talks.
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188 And about an hour of free time after dinner. (summer schedule, I presume they
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189 had some sort of attempt at school the rest of the year). Why dio I go on about
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190 this? Because they had kids as young as EIGHT in there!
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191 _________________________Leonard_______________________________________________
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192
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193 The Last Rhyme of True Thomas
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194 (by Gwendolyn of Caer Cerdinnen; O.L., m.k.a. Susan Oldham)
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195
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196 The King has caleled for priest and cup,
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197 The King has taken spur and blade
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198 To dub True Thomas a belted knight
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199 And all for the sake of the songs he made.
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200
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201 They have sought him high, they have sought him low
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202 They have sought him over down and lea.
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203 They have found him by the milk-white thorn
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204 That guards the gate of Faerie.
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205
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206 "Now cease your song," the King he said,
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207 "Oh, cease your song and get you dight
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208 To vow your vows and watch your arms,
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209 For I will dub you a belted knight.
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210
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211 "For I will give you a horse o' pride,
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212 Wi' blazon and spur and page and squire;
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213 And land to hold at your desire."
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214
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215 "I ha' vowed my vow in another place,
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216 And bitter oath it was on me.
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217 I ha' watched my arms the lee-long night,
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218 Where five-score fighting men would flee.
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219
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220 "My lance is tipped o' the hammered flame,
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221 My sheield is beat o' the moonlight cold;
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222 And I won my spurs in the Middle world,
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223 A thousand fathom beneath the mold.
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224
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225 "And what should I make wi' a horse o' pride,
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226 And what should I make wi' a sword so brown,
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227 But spill the rings of the Gentle Folk
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228 And flyte my kin in the Faerie Town?
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229
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230 "And what should I make wi' blazon and belt,
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231 Wi' keep and tail and seizin' and fee,
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232 And what should I do wi' page and squire
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233 That am a king in my own countrie?"
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234
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235 The kKing he bit his nether lip,
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236 And smote his hand upon his knee:
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237 "By the faith of my soul, True Thomas," he said,
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238 "Ye waste no wit in courtesie!"
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239
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240 The king cast down a gsilver groat,
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241 A silver groat o' Scots money;
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242 "If I come wi' a poor man's dole," he said,
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243 "True Thomas, will ye harp to me?"
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244
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245 "Whenas I harp to then children small,
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246 They press me close on either hand,
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247 And who are you," True Thomas said,
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248 "That you should ride while they must stand?
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249
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250 "Light down, light down from your horse o' pride,
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251 I trow ye talk to loud and hie,
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252 And I will make you a triple word,
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253 And syne, if ye dare, ye shall 'noble me."
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254
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255 True Thomas played upon his harp,
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256 The faerie harp that couldna lee,
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257 And the first least word the proud king heard,
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258 It harpit the salt tear out o' his e'e.
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259
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260 "Oh, I see the love that I lost long syne,
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261 I touch the hope that I may not see,
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262 And all that I did of hidden shame,
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263 Like little snakes they hiss at me.
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264
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265 "The sun is lost at noon -- at noon!
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266 The dread of doom has grippit me.
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267 True Thomas, hide me under your cloak,
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268 God wot, I'm little fit to dee!"
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269
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270 True Thomas played upon his harp,
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271 That birled and brattled to his hand,
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272 And the next least word True Thomas made,
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273 It garred the King take horse and brand.
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274
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275 "Oh, I hear the tread o' the fighting-men,
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276 I see the sun on splent and spear.
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277 I mark the arrow outen the fern
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278 That flies so low and sings so clear!
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279
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280 "Advance my standards to that field,
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281 And bid my good knights prick and ride;
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282 The gled shall watch as fierce a fight
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283 As e'er was fought on the Border-side!"
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284
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285 True Thomas sighed above his harp,
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286 And turned the song on the midmost string;
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287 And txe last least word True Thomas made,
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288 He harpit his dead youth back to the king.
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289
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290 "Now I am prince, and I do well
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291 To love my love withouten fear;
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292 To walk with man in fellowship,
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293 And breathe my horse behind the deer.
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294
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295 "My hounds they bay unto the death,'
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296 The buck has couched beyond the burn,
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297 My love she waits at her window
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298 To wash my hands when I return."
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299
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300 True Thomas laid his harp away,
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301 And louted low at the saddle-side;
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302 He has taken stirrup and hauden rein,
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303 And set the King on his horse o' pride.
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304
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305 "Sleep ye or wake," True Thomas said,
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306 "That sit so still, that muse so long?
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307 Sleep ye or wake?--Till the laLatter Sleep
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308 I trow ye'll not forget my song.
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309
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310 "I ha' harpit a shadow out o' the sun
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311 To stand before your face and cry;
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312 I ha' armed the earth beneath your heel,
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313 And o'er your head I ha' dusked the sky.
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314
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315 "I ha' harpit ye up to the Throne o' God,
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316 I ha' harpit your midmost soul in three;
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317 I ha' harpit ye down to the Hinges o' Hrell,
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318 And ye would make a knight o' me!"
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319 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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320 I apologize for going on so long, but I felt we needed a "quiet, listening"
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321 song after the piper's dance. When I began the tune I forgot how long it was!
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322 ~~~~~~~~~~~
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323 Piper: I can't understand why anyone would dislike the sound o' the pipes!
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324 Is there any chance that we ha' met elsewhere? I am from Stromgard. I'm not
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325 sure whether the inn is in Three Mountains or in Dragon's Mist? (Milord
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326 innkeeper, where be this in? Portland, Washington County, or elsewhere?)
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327
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328 d: the apprentice told me somewhat of you. I do na' recall whether or not ye
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329 were interested in the SCA? (You live, appropriately enough, in Dragon's Mist!)
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330 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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331 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< *.* >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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332 ...Some of the patrons were gathered at a table in the corner laughing
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333 and talking with a strange looking newcomer to the Inn.
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334 ...One was heard to say, "Perhaps you could engage us with a story of
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335 these adventures of yours, but I warn you this crowd is not easily
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336 pleased and can turn on you at a moment's notice.
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337 ...He scratched his beard, took a deep breath and said, "Yes, perhaps
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338 I do know one that is at least appropriate for such a gathering.
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339 I believe it's called---
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340
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The Place Where East Begins
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341
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342 Once upon a time there was a princess named Nila. She was
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343 everything a princess should be. She was beautiful and
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344 intelligent, much loved by everyone in the kingdom. Still,
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345 Nila was discontent for she did not seem to know that thing
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346 everyone else seemed to know, that thing called Truth. So
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347 she went to her father the King and said, "Father am I the
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348 only person who doesn't know the truth?" Now the King was a
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349 very wise man so he did not answer immediately. "My child",
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350 he said, "that is a very deep question and I must ponder it
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351 carefully, come back tomorrow." When Nila returned to the
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352 throne room the next day, she found that her father had
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353 cancelled all his kingly activities and had gathered around
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354 him all the wisest men in the kingdom. "Beautiful One", the
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355 King said, "You have asked the most important question it
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356 is possible to ask. I have been waiting for this moment for
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357 many years. Princess, when you were born a strange and
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358 ragged man from the hills appeared at court and prophesied
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359 that you would be one who would knew Truth. He said, and I
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360 quote: "Her knowing can begin only when the question arises
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361 from deep within her. This will happen in the natural course
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362 of events." Then he sang a this little song playing on an
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363 instrument that sounded like distant bees.
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364
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365 Sone travel to the East, ho!
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366 And some go to the West.
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367 But the fartherest truth of all, Oh!
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368 Is neither East nor West.
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369
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370 ("You'll have to forgive my not singing dear."), the King
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371 said parenthetically, "as you know I am not artistically
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372 inclined, second verse."
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373
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374 The answers' in the question, ho!
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375 The taste is in the thirst.
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376 Which of these truth seekers, Oh!
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377 Will reach truth first?
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378
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379 "I'm sorry father", Nila said, "but I don't understand it
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380 at all I'm afraid.
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381 "Don't be sorry and afraid at the same time, my child.",
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382 the King said, "Sorry is for the past and afraid is for
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383 the future, it isn't princess like to mix them up so. But,
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384 in any case I don't understand the song either. I simply
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385 memorized it because I believed it to contain information
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386 I might need at some future time, which is now. It is one
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387 of my better habits, I think."
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388
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389 Nila nodded patiently, being used to her father's expla-
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390 nations. It was his kingly practice to take everything
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391 apart and make a judgement on it, including himself. It
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392 made him a very good King and a poor conversationalist.
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393
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394 "Now my child", the King continued, "the time has come
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395 and your knowing has begun. Do you feel any different?
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396 No, I though not. In any case... Now, here are the wisest
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397 men in all the kingdom. They are instructed to answer any
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398 question no matter which or what you may put to them.
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399 With that the king departed with swirling robes, carried
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400 along by that natural course of events appropriate to Kings.
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401 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< to be continued... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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402 -----------------------------------------------
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403 Walking through the broad oaken door of the Inn, I wonder if Tarn
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404 will be here today. Surely, he is a moody one, surly and full of woe
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405 one moment, happy and friendly the next. He has spoken to me much of
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406 the past, but not of his own past, or how he came to be here at the
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407 Inn. Ah, well, his friendship is good, even if he is slow to his
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408 changepurse when the bill arrives!
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409 A loud report, as of falling furniture and a breaking stein,
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410 reaches my ears, and then a muttered curse! It comes from the back
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411 room, where last I supped and exchanged pleasantries with Tarn. I see
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412 Pam rushing through the old tattered curtain into that room, but there
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413 is no look of concern on her face; in truth she seems quite happy, and
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414 a wide smile of amusement plays across her mien. It seems that I've
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415 found Tarn.
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416 - Emer -
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417 -----------------------------------------------------
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418
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419 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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420
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421 THE FAIRY THORN
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422 Sir Samuel Ferguson
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423
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424 "Get up, our Anna dear, from the weary spinning-wheel;
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425 For your father's on the hill, and your mother is asleep;
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426 Come up above the crags, and we'll dance the highland-reel
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427 Around the fairy thorn on the steep."
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428
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429 At Anna Grace's door 'twas thus the maidens cried,
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430 Three merry maidens fair in kirtles of the green;
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431 And Anna laid the rock and the weary wheel aside,
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432 The fairest of the four, I ween.
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433
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434 They're glancing through the glimmer of the quiet eve,
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435 Away in milky wavings of neck and ankle bare;
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436 The heavy-sliding stream in its sleepy song they leave,
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437 And the crags in the ghostly air:
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438
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439 And linking hand in hand, and singing as they go,
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440 The maids along the hill-side have ta'en their fearless way,
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441 Till they come to where the rowan trees in lonely beauty grow
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442 Beside the Fairy Hawthorn grey.
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443
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444 The Hawthorn stands between the ashes tall and slim,
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445 Like matron with her twin grand-daughters at her knee;
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446 The rowan berries cluster o'er her low head grey and dim
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447 In ruddy kisses sweet to see.
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448
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449 The merry maidens four have ranged them in a row,
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450 Between each lovely couple a stately rowan stem,
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451 And away in mazes wavy, like skimming birds they go,
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452 Oh, never caroll'd bird like them!
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453
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454 But solemn is the silence of the silvery haze
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455 That drinks away their voices in echoless repose,
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456 And dreamily the evening has still'd the haunted braes,
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457 And dreamier the gloaming grows.
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458
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459 And sinking one by one, like lark-notes from the sky
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460 When the falcon's shadow saileth across the open shaw,
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461 Are hush'd the maiden's voices, as cowering down they lie
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462 In the flutter of their sudden awe.
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463
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464 For, from the air above, the grassy ground beneath,
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465 And from the mountain-ashes and the old Whitethorn between,
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466 A Power of faint enchantment doth through their beings breathe,
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467 And they sink down together on the green.
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468
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469 They sink together silent, and stealing side by side,
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470 They fling their lovely arms o'er their drooping necks so fair,
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471 Then vainly strive again their naked arms to hide,
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472 For their shrinking necks again are bare.
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473
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474 Thus clasp'd and prostrate all, with their heads together bow'd,
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475 Soft o'er their bosom's beating-the only human sound-
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476 They hear the silky footsteps of the silent fairy crowd,
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477 Like a river in the air, gliding round.
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478
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479 No scream can any raise, no prayer can any say,
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480 But wild, wild, the terror of the speechless three-
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481 For they feel fair Anna Grace drawn silently away,
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482 By whom they dare not look to see.
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483
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484 They feel their tresses twine with her parting locks of gold
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485 And the curls elastic falling as her head withdraws;
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486 They feel her sliding arms from their tranced arms unfold,
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487 But they may not look to see the cause:
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488
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489 For heavy on their senses the faint enchantment lies
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490 Through all that night of anguish and perilous amaze;
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491 And neither fear nor wonder can ope their quivering eyes,
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492 Or their limbs from the cold ground raise,
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493
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494 Till out of night the earth has roll'd her dewy side,
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495 With every haunted mountain and streamy vale below;
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496 When, as the mist dissolves in the yellow morning tide,
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497 The maidens' trance dissolveth so.
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498
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499 Then fly the ghastly three as swiftly as they may,
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500 And tell their tale of sorrow to anxious friends in vain-
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501 They pined away and died within the year and day,
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502 And ne'er was Anna Grace seen again.
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503
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504 (written sometime in the 15th century)
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505
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506 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]PAM.[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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507
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508 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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509 FIRST A GENERAL COMMENT (NO PUN INTENDED): I LOVE THE SONGS AND POEMS,
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510 I really DO, BUT THIS SYSTEM IS SO LIMITED IN MEMORY, COULD WE TRY TO
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511 KEEP THEM SHORT OR BREAK THEM UP? GIVE EVERYONE SOME ROOM. OK, NUFF SAID,
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512 I'M A JERK.
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513 GENERAL MACAIBO....................................................
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514 ....
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515 GARY ET AL:
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516 OK, I'll bite. For your first thrust, I judge others (when I must)
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517 not by how much they have accomplished, but by what they have done
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518 with with what talents they have. Every human is gifted; some gifts
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519 may be for useful than others. How would you like to have a talent
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520 for painting bowling balls? Not too useful, perhaps, or lucrative,
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521 but it may give some personal pleasure not known to insurance
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522 salesmen. Those who know what their gifts are are fortunate, indeed.
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523 Most never find them. So, by your description, Johnathan took the
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524 easy route, and never needed to stretch himself. A waste of good
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525 protoplasm, while Randall, if he was performing to the best of his
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526 abilities, gets my vote. Secondly, to parry, my internal value
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527 system depends merely on whether I have paid the price for my dreams.
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528 I happen to know my gifts, and indulge myself in them, and set goals
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529 for myself which few mortals would dare. If I fail them having tried
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530 my best, I feel I have stretched my potential enough and may fail with
|
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531 honor. Letting a dream die without giving everything I can to achieve
|
|
532 it, however, is a mortal crime against myself. I have never failed to
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533 date.
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534 For your second question, I defer to Ursela K. Leguin's "Those who
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535 walk away from Omelas".
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536 .............................GENERAL MACAIBO.....................{
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537 ********************************************************************
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|
538 The next moment he was blind. it required only the space of
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539 a heartbeat that he couldn't feel for the ripping panic of
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540 sensory deprivation to take hold. He began flailing at the air
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541 with hands he could no longer sense at the end of nonexistant arms.
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542 With no sight, no sound, no feeling, the panic quickly became an
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543 all devouring force threatening to blot out any memory that he had
|
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544 ever existed at all. But in that panic, Marc again reached out as he
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545 had in the Garden, stretching out his consciousness as he'd
|
|
546 practiced time and time again against the landragon, to try to sense
|
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547 something, anything in the abysmal nothing that surrounded him.
|
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548 Then for an instant he thought he saw Ben's face. Not as he
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549 remembered it, but in the room with him now. He fought to force
|
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550 open the crack he'd found and realized that it was a door. Suddenly
|
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551 he could see! He let his vision travel across the room, then focused
|
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552 again on Ben. He could see the triunphant look on his face. Ben nodded
|
|
553 once, and with a wrenching feeling like that of being dropped
|
|
554 suddenly down an elevator shaft, his senses were returned to him. It
|
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555 had taken only the space of a heartbeat, but an entire lifetime had
|
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556 passed for the child. He looked around himself, correlating his
|
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557 new senses with what he saw. It was less than telepathy, but more
|
|
558 reliable. Not clairevoiance, but a growing sense of knowledge
|
|
559 behind the obvious.
|
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560 Ben picked him up, still lying on the platform where he'd fallen
|
|
561 and carried him out of the room. Marc could sense now that those
|
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562 behind him were not cold or silent. He did not stop to make sense
|
|
563 of the words spoken to him by his companion, nor could he understand
|
|
564 the significance of the excited bedlam in the room he was leaving
|
|
565 begind.
|
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566 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
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567 I pause in my story for a sip of cider, and note that the fair
|
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568 lady 'd' is glancing my way. I smile, but she has turned aside.
|
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569 A shy one that. Perhaps now would be a good time to introduce
|
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570 myself. But no, there's dear Pam, suddenly radient after her long
|
|
571 gloom, settling into the table, perhaps for a long awaited and
|
|
572 deserved moment of relaxation.
|
|
573 Instead, I motion to our good Innkeeper, and pull a gold coin
|
|
574 from my vest. As I place it in his callused palm, I note his eyebrows
|
|
575 raise slightly wondering where a simple storymonger comes by such
|
|
576 wealth. Let him guess. I say, "Allow Pam her evening's rest, and
|
|
577 fetch your finest ale, for they will be in need of refreshment."
|
|
578 As he turns to go, I add "And get a plate of scraps for yon fire
|
|
579 lizard, and a vial of oil. The creature will also need tending."
|
|
580 He turns, and heads for the cellars where Henry, our good Innkeeper,
|
|
581 keeps his private reserve.
|
|
582 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^daver^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|
|
583 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
|
|
584 VALINOR: CHEER UP GOOD FRIEND, THERE ARE GOING TO BE ENOUGH
|
|
585 CRAZIES AT THE INNCOUNTER TO KEEP IT GOING UNTIL YOU'RE OFF.
|
|
586 BUT KEEP ME INFORMED OF YOUR PROGRESS, FEAR NOT.
|
|
587 CONTREMON
|
|
588 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|
|
589 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
|
590
|
|
591 NO, GENERAL, NOT A JERK, MERELY TOO WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT REALLY
|
|
592 DOESN'T MATTER! THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM HERE, SINCE YOU HAD ROOM TO ENTER YOUR
|
|
593 MESSAGE, AND FOR ME TO RESPOND. AND BY LATE TONIGHT, MIKEY WILL UNDOUBTEDLY
|
|
594 PROVIDE US WITH 629 MORE LINES! I USED TO WORRY ABOUT THE SPACE HERE BEING
|
|
595 USED UP TOO QUICKLY, UNTIL DEAR CISTOP REMINDED ME THAT THE SPACE IS LIMITED
|
|
596 ONLY BY THE TIME IT TAKES HIM TO CHANGE DISKS. SO DON'T PERSPIRE TOO MUCH, IT
|
|
597 COULD BE MUCH WORSE (THOUGH YOU PROBABLY CAN'T IMAGINE HOW, RIGHT?). I'LL
|
|
598 FILL THIS DISK UP TO LINE 629 NOW, BUT WHEN MIKEY'S DONE, THERE'LL BE SPACE!
|
|
599 (If I may interject, 629 lines is too short when every time I call the damne thing is FULL!.....the Phantom Glitch)
|
|
600 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]PAM+[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
|
601
|
|
602 replaced with this by an innocent bystander, afeter~~~~ter someone replaced
|
|
603 WON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR INTERJECTING INTO MY LAST MESSAGE, SINCE IT WAS A
|
|
604 SPACE LINE YOU TOOK, THOUGH OTHERS MIGHT THINK IT THE HEIGHT OF.... WELL, I
|
|
605 THINK I'LL JUST IGNORE IT.
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> |