Everyone arrived for the Tuesday Morning Meeting on time. They greeted each other and assembled about the oak conference table. Dr. Angelo looked at Dan and said, “It was a pleasure to meet your Mother, Sunday. Is your Dad active in Church, also?”
Dan looked a bit surprised by the question, but then, with a wide smile, he responded, “Quite active. He went to be with the Lord about five years ago. I imagine he’s very busy up there.”
“Oh! I’m sorry,” Dr. Angelo moaned. “I didn’t know ...”
“No problem,” Dan interrupted. “I’m not in grief. I look forward to seeing Dad again some day. And, I want you to know, Mom really enjoyed your first lesson. She’ll be back Sunday.” Then, nodding toward Miriam and laughing, he added, “And, she likes the way Miriam handles her fiddle.”
As the others laughed and bantered, Vic felt like an outsider. He was still depressed by the fact that Sam Moreno was after him. He wasn’t laughing. “What lesson are you talking about?” he asked.
“Well, I’m teaching a series of Sunday School lessons on the origins of the Universe and the human race,” Dr. Angelo said.
“Really?” Vic queried. “Sounds interesting. Maybe I should attend.”
“For sure, you’re welcome,” Dr. Angelo replied. “Sunday mornings at 9:30 at Transcendental Community Church.” He paused, took a breath, and then continued, “Well, let’s get started. Vic, what did you learn about neutrinos last week?”
“A lot,” Vic began. “it was an interesting bunch of scientists. Some were declaring everything they knew, lustily, and others were keeping their thoughts to themselves for fear that someone might steal their ideas and publish them in a scientific journal before they did.”
“That’s awful,” Dr. Angelo
groaned. “For the record, I want our findings and thoughts to be open to the
world ... No secrets, please.”
Vic resumed, “As I mentioned to you, yesterday, Dr. Angelo, I spent a lot of time with Knut Sorensen. He’s enthused about the idea that neutrinos are a composite of tiny strings. But, some of the participants “pooh-poohed” that thought.
“Most believe that neutrinos have three forms. For some reason, they call these ‘flavors’. They list electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos, and tau neutrinos. Each of these flavors has an ‘anti-neutrino’ form. Apparently, a given neutrino can change flavors. When it does, they say it oscillates, and some say it changes shape. I need to look into that.”
“Shape?” Miriam asked. “That’s interesting. I’ve been comparing the math in various papers on string theory. I was working with my faculty advisor the other day when he commented on the fact that some of the math we were studying reminded him of spatial geometry equations. Maybe shape has something to do with how fast particles can move through the fabric of space.”
“I’ve been reading papers about the shape of electrons,” Dan stated. “The consensus is that electrons are spherical. But, I noted that some experimenters believe the electron is not just a single point. They believe it is surrounded by a cloud of virtual particles, whatever that means. Could these be strings? I’m looking into that.”
“This is exciting stuff,” Dr. Angelo said. I wonder what shape a photon has ... or a neutrino. Shape certainly affects the way objects move through air or water. Why wouldn’t it influence particles moving through the fabric of the Universe?”
The conversation, with its speculations, went on for several hours. Then, the team members returned to their desks to pursue answers to the questions raised in the meeting.
Dan and Miriam plunged into their research, but Vic was obsessed with getting Moreno off his back. His thoughts careened about his brain, “I’ve got to produce three more Flare corpses for Moreno to contemplate ... girls that have no connection to me ... That would throw him off my trail ... He’s not as smart as me ... He’ll never figure it out ... Now, how do I pull it off ... Wait! ... I saw that poster about a blood drive on the bulletin board in the hall ... It asked for volunteers to help with the refreshments ... If I were to serve the drinks to the donors when they come to the refreshment table, I could put Flare in a few of the cups ... What a great idea! ... I knew my brain would come up with a clever way to outsmart Moreno ... What power this Flare has given me!”
Cooly, Vic ambled into the hall, studied the poster, jotted down the phone number, and stepped outside to offer his services via his smartphone. The contact person said they could use him from 2:00 to 4:00 on Friday. He agreed to be there. The stage was set for his nefarious deed.
...
As he walked to the Student Union building on Friday, Vic was energized and flooded with thoughts, “Moreno will be befuddled by my brilliance ... All I need do is to dope the drinks of three girls, and I will remove the cloud of suspicion hanging over me ... I’m back in control of my destiny ... I’ll select girls with very light complexions, so that the glow produced by Flare will be conspicuous.”
“Coming right up,” he called out with a handsome grin.
So, in about ten minutes, Vic poisoned his quota. He felt no remorse. In fact, he was joyous. “Now, I am free to use my genius to advance cosmology. This is a good thing. The girls will not die in vain. They have saved me for science!”
...
Back at the office, Dan and Miriam were restless. As they worked, each of them kept checking the time, obsessively. Periodically, Dan would look up to admire Miriam. Somehow, she sensed his attention. Then, she would glance at him with a nervous smile. She wondered, “Will he find me pleasing? Is he the guy I’ve been praying for? Am I the soul-mate he’s seeking?”
Exasperated, Dan grabbed a sheet of stationery and folded it into a fancy, paper airplane. On each side of the fuselage he wrote, “LET’S GO!” Then, he winged it at Miriam. It fluttered through the air and landed with a thump on Miriam’s desk, right on top of her notepad. Startled, she gasped, and then, reading the note, she giggled.
“I’m not getting anything done,” Dan confessed. “All I can think about is our first date.”
“Me too,” she admitted. “Let’s go!”
Dan stuffed some materials he wanted to review over the weekend into a leather satchel. Miriam did likewise. They locked their desks, secured the office door, and headed for Dan’s pickup truck. Dan grabbed Miriam’s satchel and carried his and hers in his left hand. Then, boldly, his husky, right hand enclosed Miriam’s left hand, and they walked in high spirits to the parking lot.
As they approached the truck, Miriam said, “Wait. I promised my folks that I would send them a picture of you and your bright-red truck. I think they’re as excited as me about this first date ... Now, you stand over there, and I’ll take a snapshot ... S-m-I-l-e!”
After the click, Dan opined, “That’ll scare them. I hope they’re not too picky.”
“They are hyper-picky,” Miriam declared, “but you’ll please them. They already know a lot about you. We talk frequently.”
As they sped down the super-highway to Washington, Missouri, Miriam commented, “Those limestone outcroppings are so beautiful ... so picturesque.”
Dan responded, “We’re at the northern edge of the Ozarks. Further south, these limestone formations are quite numerous. We have a few on our land, behind the house. I love to hike down to the valley, early, and see them in the morning mist. And, they’re enchanting when snow, like white icing, decorates them. There’s one that is topped with a large, flat ledge, overlooking our valley and creek. It’s a little hard to climb up there, but I do it when I need to think things through. I call it ‘Prayer Point’. There’s a rock ridge up there that makes a natural bench. It’s shaped like a Church pew ... even has a back. I like to rest on it and meditate and read my pocket Bible.”
“Dan, you make me wish I was there ... ” she said dreamily.
Conversation came easily to the happy pair, and the drive to Washington seemed but a few minutes. Dan located an ideal spot and backed his truck up to the fence surrounding the baseball-field where the fireworks would be ignited. But, the show would not start for several hours, so they joined hands and proceeded to the carnival fairway.
...
Meanwhile, Victor was ebullient. He had solved his problem. Soon, Moreno would be chasing a host of leads and coming up empty-handed. “Moreno has met his match!” Vic declared to himself. “I have conquered!” And now, he decided to celebrate. “Drinking, dancing and dames,” he repeated. “Drinking, dancing and dames ... I know ... I’ll go to Delilah’s Den ... There’ll be some action there.”
Vic entered. The lights were low. The music was loud. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust. Then, he moved to a booth on the edge of the dance floor. He ordered an ice-cold beer and sat back to watch the dancers. One caught his eye. She was lean but shapely, and she could move. She wore a skimpy, bright-red, sleeveless pullover and a short, white, pleated skirt. She had a healthy, Nordic look, peachy skin, bright blue eyes, and long blond hair that she tossed about as she pranced. The longer he watched, the closer she came, and when the music stopped, she landed in Vic’s booth, opposite him.
Sounding as if she owned the place, she declared in a husky, brassy voice, “I saw you watching me. What’s your name? I haven’t seen you here before.”
“I’m Vic. It’s been a long time.”
“Why’s that?” she demanded.
“I’ve been avoiding a girl I met here ... and jilted,” Vic responded, with a wry grin.
“I’ll bet you’ve dumped a few, looking as fine as you do,” she asserted with a knowing smile.
“And, what about you? ... I’ll bet you’ve dumped a few, too!” Vic rasped.
“Yeah, me too,” she confessed.
“So, what’s your name?” Vic asked.
“Cat! ... actually Keturah ... but everyone calls me Cat ... especially, if they’ve seen me dance.”
Cat used eye makeup to make herself look like a kitten. She was exotic and cute. She studied Vic for a moment, and then, remarked, “I want to see you dance.”
They stepped onto the dance floor and began to move with the music. Vic was up. Moreno was down. He expressed his elation with sweeping moves and staccato steps. But, Cat was more than his match. She leaped and twirled all around the dance hall. At times, she looked like a kitten playing with catnip. The crowd took note. They formed a circle around the pair and began clapping with the beat. The duo continued through three tunes. In the moments between numbers, Vic kept things going with a flurry of flamenco steps. Near the end of the last number, Cat unleashed some erotic moves that made Vic and all the other guys gasp. Some of the girls giggled, others blanched. When the music stopped, the crowd shouted for more. But, the pair returned to their booth.
Cat grabbed Vic’s beer and downed a large swig of it. Then, she leaned across the table and spoke in a sultry tone, “I want to see more of you. And, I can read your face. You want to see all of me. You think you can make me purr.” Cat scanned Vic’s glowing eyes with hers all ablaze. “We’ll see ... Your place or mine?”
“She’s so forward ... so aggressive,” Vic thought. She suited his euphorical mood. “Mine,” Vic asserted. “I’ve got some extra-fine wine there. We can dance and play till dawn.”
...
Back on the fairway, Dan led Miriam to a site where guys and gals were seeing how fast they could throw a baseball. A radar gun clocked the speed of the balls thrown and posted it to a jumbo screen. In between throws, the screen displayed how fast major league pitchers could throw. And then, it showed the average speed reached by the guys on this particular evening, and, in turn, the average speed tossed by the girls. Then, it showed the names of the guy and the gal who had the highest scores of the evening.
Dan wanted to impress Miriam. He had pitched for his high school team, so he thought he could do well. He bought three balls, handed two to Miriam and gripped one. He stepped onto the improvised mound. The video screen read, “Nolan Ryan, 108.1 mph.” Dan raised the ball to his chest, and then, reached back and hurled a pitch. The screen broadcast, “79 mph.” Dan looked disheartened. The screen showed, “Bob Feller, 107.6 mph.” Dan took another ball from Miriam, smiling sheepishly. He dug into the mound, paused, and threw with all his might. The screen read, “83 mph.” Encouraged, he took the last ball from Miriam and tried again. The screen showed, “78 mph.”
Dan shrugged his shoulders and looked at Miriam, somewhat plaintively, and said, “I give up.”
But, as he moved to her side, she clapped and giggled and screamed, “Look! You’re the best of the evening.”
Dan couldn’t believe it. He wheeled and saw it for himself. He grinned and declared, “Even so, I guess I better stick to Physics and Cosmology.” Then, he glanced at Miriam and said, “Your turn.” He bought her three balls, handed one to her, and turned her loose.
Miriam decided to have fun with her attempts. She stepped onto the mound, raised her left hand to her brow, as if she was shading her eyes, and stared at the target. Then, she wound up like a big leaguer and winged her first pitch. The video displayed, “63 mph.” The crowd enjoyed her antics and called out words of encouragement. Dan grinned as he handed her another ball. She went through the same motions she had used before, but this time, she acted like she was looking over to first base to hold a runner close to the bag. She whipped the ball toward the target and the screen showed, “65 mph.” Dan giggled as he handed her the third ball. She acted like she was shaking off a few signs from her catcher. Finally, she took a long pause after her windup and scored 68 mph. The bystanders applauded and shouted approval. By far, she was the best female pitcher of the night.
“I guess all that fiddling keeps my arm in pretty good shape,” she giggled as she grasped Dan’s hand.
“Let’s celebrate! I’m starving! ... How about a corndog and a Coke?” Dan asked, as he guided Miriam toward a refreshment stand. After some deliberation, Miriam ordered one dog and lemonade; Dan ordered two and a Coke. They relaxed on a handy, picnic table under a large oak. Dan ate with zest, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Miriam. After a few quiet moments of chewing and exchanging smiles, Dan said, “You make me proud. I feel so good just being with you. Everyone must be wondering, ‘Why is such a beautiful girl hanging around with that guy?’”
Miriam looked into his eyes, resolutely, and said, “No, Dan. I’m the lucky one. It’s a blessing to be with you.” An aura of mutual admiration enveloped them.
Suddenly, Miriam spotted a tiny girl, about four, wiping her eyes as she feverously scanned the fairway. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Her blond hair was wet with tears. Her cheeks were blotched. She was thoroughly distraught. Rushing to her side, Miriam knelt, held her hand, looked into her worried, blue eyes, and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you lost?”
As Dan arrived, she sobbed, “I don’t know where Mommy is!”
Miriam gave her a hug and said, “We’ll find her. What’s your name, honey?”
“Twila,” she whimpered. “Twila Brown.”
Miriam took charge. “Dan, you find her folks. We’ll sit at the picnic table till you return.”
Dan stepped up on a nearby rock and used his vivid vision to study the crowd. He noticed a commotion about 100 feet down the road and hurried off in that direction. Within minutes, he confronted a couple with worried expressions. The man was holding a toddler; his teary-eyed wife, a baby. “Are you looking for Twila?” Dan asked.
Puzzled, they said, “Yes ... Where is she?”
“She’s in good hands. Come with me,” Dan responded with a re-assuring smile and a gesture in the direction of Miriam.
When Dan and the Browns reached the table, Twila was on Miriam’s lap, smiling. The two were singing a Bible School song and going through the accompanying motions together. Twila still looked a bit shaky, but when she saw her Mom, she slid to the ground and hugged her leg vehemently. “Thank God! They found you!” Holly Brown exulted.
Miriam approached her and said, “Here ... let me hold the baby while you soothe Twila.”
“How can we ever thank you enough? You’re so thoughtful,” Holly said as she gave Miriam the baby and raised Twila into a full bear hug.
Ted Brown blurted, “You two are a Godsend. Twila must have wandered off when I got distracted. It’s all my fault. Thank you! ... Thank you! ... Thank you!” He shook Dan’s hand vigorously. “We’re Ted and Holly Brown. What’s your name?”
“I’m Dan Diederman and this
is my friend Miriam Smithson.”
“I’m surprised you were able to calm Twila,” Holly said. “She doesn’t cotton to just anyone.”
“She”s ... she’s Cinderella!” Twila exclaimed. And they all laughed boisterously. It was a moment of relief. Twila descended as Miriam returned the baby. She tugged on Miriam’s jeans until Miriam knelt down and gave her a loving hug and kiss. Twila added, “You’re so pretty ... I love you,” as she planted a big kiss on Miriam’s cheek.
After a few more words of gratitude, the Browns departed with Twila clinging to her Mother. Dan clasped Miriam’s hand and drew her near, saying, “You were wonderful. You have a way with kids.”
“She was so scared ... so vulnerable ... What else could we do? ... Anyway, you found the parents ... All I did was play with Twila.”
As the happy couple proceeded down the fairway, Dan was drawn to a shooting gallery. Here was his chance to impress Miriam. He knew guns. They watched as customers shot at a row of wooden ducks moving across the back of the booth. The birds were attached to a conveyor belt by a hinge. If a shot hit one of them, it fell flat and triggered a loud bell.
“Seven shots for three dollars!” the carnival barker trilled. “If ya’ hit two ducks, ya’ pick a level one prize from that display over thar’ by my wife. Three gets ya’ a level two prize, and four or more gets ya’ a level three prize! Is there a marksman in the house? Ya’ brag about your shootin’. Prove it, here and now!”
Dan slapped down three dollars and grabbed the gun. He sighted down the barrel from the top and from each side. He noted that the barrel was a bit twisted. He reckoned he would need to aim high and to the right of each duck he fired at. He missed his first shot, but then he hit two in a row. He missed his fourth shot, but then he hit three in a row.
“That’s mighty fine shootin’,” the barker declared, “Step over thar’ and claim your prize! Who’s next? Can ya’ top this young fella’?”
Dan escorted Miriam to the level three display. He proudly proclaimed, “I did the shooting ... You do the picking.”
Miriam laughed as she surveyed the prizes. The stuffed dolls were the best. She sorted through rabbits and dogs and ... and there it was, a cute bear with a face that bore a striking resemblance to Dan. “I want this one!” she exclaimed. She held it up by Dan’s face and said, “He looks like you! He’ll sit on my dresser. He’ll be my ‘Danny Bear’!” Dan was flattered.
The barker’s wife gave Miriam a bright-red, plastic bag for the bear and off the duo went, hand in hand.
“Dessert!” Dan announced, when he spotted a funnel-cake vendor. “That’ll fill us up.” As Dan purchased a very large cake and two coffees, Miriam selected some napkins, two paper plates, and a plastic knife. Dan led the way to another picnic table. They munched the delicious pastry and discussed the interesting people passing by as dusk settled on the carnival scene. Miriam was soon satisfied, so Dan got to finish the tasty treat. “Somebody’s got to do it,” he said with a grin.
Dan was attracted to the lights on the Ferris Wheel as they came to life in the waning light. Gesturing, he said, “You know, we have time to ride that before the fireworks start.” They hurried over. Dan bought tickets, and soon, they were belted into a gondola with its safety bar fastened in front of them. Each time the operators loaded a capsule, theirs backed up higher. Loading was complete just as they reached the pinnacle. The wheel began to rotate. They could see the whole park when they soared at the higher levels. The air rushing by cooled their faces. All went well for several rounds. Then, the machine shook and came to a halt with Dan and Miriam at the top.
“That was short,” Dan griped. “I guess they’re going to unload us already.” But, there was a long pause. The wheel refused to turn. From time to time, the whole rig shuddered, as the operators tried to re-start the engine. With each shake, the gondola rocked precariously. Miriam squeezed the safety bar with all her might. She was very nervous.
“Dan, I’m scared,” was her plaintive cry. “Would you hang on to me?” Dan put his strong arm around Miriam and she snuggled up to his chest. “I don’t want to seem too forward,” she said, “but that shaking and rocking bothers me.”
“Don’t worry,” Dan replied. “We’ll be fine.”
Miriam relaxed. Dan enjoyed the birds-eye view and the sweet presence of Miriam. The operators released the wheel from the engine and began to rotate it manually. Slowly, they unloaded each capsule. As she got closer to the ground, Miriam became more comfortable. In the distance, pyro-technicians began detonating low, throaty booms every few minutes, calling the crowd to the impending show.
Finally, Dan and Miriam were freed. They walked briskly to the pickup truck, Dan carrying ‘Danny Bear’. He stowed him in the cab and pulled two lawn chairs and a stepstool from behind the bench seat. He dropped the tail gate and set the stepstool behind it. Miriam stepped up to the truck bed. He followed her and unfolded the chairs. There they relaxed, side by side, hand in hand, waiting for the show to start. The lively strains of familiar marching songs paraded from the PA system.
The display began with an impressive barrage. Suddenly, the sky was filled with boisterous, bursting shells, strewing bright, crackling stars in every direction. Next, a brilliant web, like fine silver lace, graced the sky. Delicate. long tails of glittering lights slowly faded into the night. Dan studied Miriam’s face in the shimmering light. He was captivated by her copious, dreamy eyes.
“Beautiful!” Miriam exclaimed. “It’s really nice tonight. That breeze feels so good ... Dan, tell me about your Mom ... I mean ... Why hasn’t she married again? She’s attractive. She has an upbeat personality ...”
“She’s loyal to the memory of my Dad,” Dan replied.
An immense fountain erupted on the ground near them. Green, gold and red bombettes shot skyward, screaming and crackling. A cloud of sulfurous smoke drifted past them. The PA band played on.
“That’s neat,” Dan said. “My sister and I have talked and talked and talked to her about it. Some nice fellows have asked her out, but she can’t get past her commitment to Dad.”
Two “cannons” about 100 feet apart fired comets at each other. The projectiles left fiery trails, marking their trajectories.
“Wow,” Miriam declared. “That was impressive ... But. he’s gone ... He’s in Heaven ... There’s no marriage there ... Does she think he would be jealous?”
A slow motion display brightened the sky. Glowing, flitting embers tumbled to earth like falling leaves.
“I’ve never seen that one before,” Dan remarked. “Well, we go around and around about it. She’s lonely ... I know I’m some company, but she needs more. She does work at a greeting card shop, some weekdays and every Saturday afternoon. So, she gets to visit with the customers.”
A battery of flower-like effects burst all at once. Each was a spherical shower of colored stars, leaving visible trails of sparks.
“Really?” Miriam asked. “What’s the name of the store. Sometimes, I need cards, and I’d love to visit with her.”
A shell containing about seven comet stars burst with large tendrils, producing a palm-tree-like image.
“It’s ‘Stacy’s Special Occasion Cards’ in Sinclair Square.”
A symmetrical burst of stars that seemed to hang in space sketched a diadem in the coal black sky.
“Impressive,” Miriam proclaimed with a bit of applause. Then, as she admired Dan, she searched his face to see if she had irritated him and said, “Well, I shouldn’t stick my nose into her affairs. It’s just that I like her ... I was just curious.”
A violent cosmic salute erupted, three quick flashes. each followed by a noisy report. Then, a large Roman candle fired ten bursts of stars upward at regular intervals. Some shrieked, some crackled, but they all glowed with bright colors.
“I’m glad you’re interested,”
Dan said. “I hope you two become fast friends. She really likes you.”
A burst reminiscent of a cloud of fireflies exploded. It produced a stroboscopic effect, consisting of many distinct bright flashes of light.
Then, an announcer intoned, “All rise for the singing of our National Anthem [1]. Here to lead us is Marsha McCleland from our local high school. She took first-place honors in vocal music at this year’s State competition.” A recorded rendition of the anthem provided the accompaniment as Marsha broke forth in song. The community joined her, as an impressive display of Old Glory was ignited. It depicted the original Stars and Stripes with just thirteen stars. Dan and Miriam joined in with their hands over their hearts. Both sang fervently. This was the first time they had heard each other sing in full voice. They exchanged approving smiles. Dan, overcome with his affection for her, embraced Miriam firmly. As the singing ended and the flag began to fade, the announcer signed off with, “God bless America. God bless you. Good night. Thanks for coming and drive home carefully.”
Dan helped Miriam get down to the ground and escorted her to the bench seat in the cab. He packed up the chairs and the stepstool and lifted the tailgate. Then, he moved to Miriam’s side. “Well, are we having fun yet?” Dan asked with a grin.
“I’ve never been happier,” Miriam replied with a joyful smile.
Dan and Miriam decided to stop at a fast-food restaurant for French-Fries and a Coke. Neither was eager to see the evening end. Once they were seated, they chatted incessantly. Dan adored her facial expressions and loved the mellow tones of her voice. Miriam was fascinated by Dan’s rugged good looks. His broad face, his wide smile, his sandy hair, his sky-blue eyes, all combined to create the visage of an outdoorsman of great acuity.
Dan reached across the table and grasped Miriam’s hand. Looking into her eyes deeply, he asked, “Can we do this again? ... I mean ... date again? I really want to know all about you. It seems like I’ve known you forever.”
“Oh, Dan! I was hoping you’d ask. Let’s do something next Friday.” She giggled in her endearing way and said, “Every Friday! ... Oops! ... I’m being too forward, again. We’ve only known each other for five weeks, but I’ve never felt so giddy! I hope I don’t disappoint you. You know, in a way, this isn’t our first date. You’ve escorted me to a couple of places and we’ve been eating lunch together lately. You just seem so much a part of my life.”
A warm glow washed over Dan’s countenance as he said, “You can’t imagine how much that means to me.”
Miriam raced on, “My folks are coming to visit three weeks from today. They are super-eager to meet you. Maybe, we can line up some fun things to do that weekend.”
The conversation continued apace, as they drove back to Browning Hall. Dan, carrying ‘Danny Bear’, walked into the foyer with Miriam. Before parting, they embraced each other fully. Miriam looked up into Dan’s eyes. A surge of warmth spread through her being. She whispered, “I’m going to break one of Momma’s rules. It may be our first date, but I want a kiss!” Dan melted into her charms and kissed her lovely lips fervently. “Oh, my!” Miriam whispered. “That was my first romantic kiss. It made me woozy.”
“Me too,” Dan said. “Me too.”
