
##1006250 Dear Stan , <p> Enclosed is Brush with Destiny , sure hope you like it . I 'd be kinda surprised if this was n't the first yam you 've ever gotten about housepainting in space . Chalk it up to many hours spent working on a four-color Victorian " painted lady , " and considerable musing on how much easier it would be if I could just float up to where I needed to be . Man , I hate ladders . <p> Far too consummate a professional to waste your valuable time trying to talk you into buying the enclosed ( an option I highly endorse , by the way ) I do want to buttonhole you for a few minutes . <p> You see , Sue-Ryn and I have gotten tangled up in something so bizarre it buries the needles in our personal Weird-O-Meters . These are internal devices which , I might add , years of doing Renaissance Faires have built up to Super Heavy-duty Industrial Strength . I know you 're busy , but trust me , I 'm talking about a world-shaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention and to prove that we 're talking capital " S " Serious Stuff , consider this : I may be taking a trip . A long trip . That 's right , me , the guy who tends to emulate the Sphinx , travel-wise . I may not be going anywhere this time , either , but I am not optimistic . It 's probably gon na happen . <p> This whole thing started one fall afternoon a couple months back . I was working over on the north side of the island , remodeling a kitchen . The phone rang twice , went silent , then started ringing again . That 's the signal Sue-Ryn uses to make me pick up when I 'm working at someone else 's house . So I answered . <p> " Hey , love , what 's up ? " I said . <p> " Steve , you better come home , " she said , sounding seriously freaked . " Right now. , <p> " What 's wrong ? " I was trying to sound calm , but inside my head a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from hurt relatives to vehicles in the ditch to exploding hot water heaters . <p> " We got- " A pause to collect herself . <p> " We got something really strange in the mad . " <p> My blood pressure drops a few points , but only a few , as audits , lawsuits , and disconnect notices suggest themselves under the heading of Bad Mail . Before I could ask more about it , she pleads with me to just come home right now , please ? <p> I tell her I 'm on my way . Shut down the radio and heat , lock up the place , jump in the Beast and roar home at flank speed . The whole time I 'm trying to guess what could creep her out so . A ten-thousand-dollar Visa bill ? A CadaverO-Gram ? Letter bomb ? Vile crap from some hate group ? <p> By the time I did a high-speed powerslide into the driveway I was pretty nerved up myself . I explode from the car , race to the house . " OK , I 'm here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't know what I expected to see . I do know the sight that greeted me was n't one of the possibles chalked up in the smeary blackboard of my imagination . <p> Sue-Ryn 's standing there in the living room . Mail is scattered all over the floor . The object she was staring at with the fixed intensity of a cat watching an owl ( and which drew my eye toot-damnsweet ) was this envelope floating in the air before her at about eye level . <p> Yeah , floating . As in hanging there all by its own self . To make matters even more interesting , when I entered the room it turned in my direction and did this little mid-air curtsey , as if to say You made it ! Glad you came ! <p> I stop , blink , undergo a brief but intense reality crisis . I know I 'm seeing what I 'm seeing because it 's still several feet away . Birdwatching , I can spot stuff a mile off , but over the last few years it 's gotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tad fuzzy . <p> " It came in the mail , " Sue-Ryn says heavily , her voice making it sound like the title of a B-grade horror flick . <p> " Letters do that , " I answer as I make my way over to her . <p> " But not this . " <p> " No , not hardly . <p> " What do you think it is ? " <p> " Fan mail from some flounder ? " I joke weakly , quoting an old Bullwinkle line used a lot around our house . I get a laugh , but not much of one . <p> " I brought the mail in after Glenn came , " she explained as I reached her side . " Started sorting the orders and bills from the junk . When I touched this thing it changed color and floated right up out of my hand . I let out a yell , jumped back , tripped over Boomer . He 's still hiding under the kitchen table . " Our dog Boomer-whose middle name happens to be Underfoot-makes the Cowardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it before ? " I ask , my mouth sort of running on automatic pilot . When you fix stuff for a living you ask this sort of question by habit . Chromatropic hovering mail was n't really on my been there , done that list . <p> " Plain white . " Now it was the most amazing-excuse me , astoundingblue I 'd ever seen , like distilled sky . <p> " Any idea who it 's from ? " <p> She just gives me The Look . You know the one a hapless boob of a husband collects when he asks his wife a dumbass question , one she considers so utterly boneheaded it 's not worth dignifying with any other response . <p> I duck my head meekly . " I 'll take that as a no . " After a few moments more spent considering our Mystery Mail I sigh and mumble , " Guess there 's only one way to find out . " <p> I reach out and gingerly close my fingets around the envelope . The second I do it lets out this low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a hammered dulcimer . <p> " What was that ? " Sue-Ryn asks nervously . It 's my turn to give her a milder version of The Look , one that basically says : How did I get to be the resident expert on floating musical mail ? <p> Back to the task at hand . The envelope does n't resist as I draw it closer , it comes along quietly . Like I said before , the color of the thing makes it seem like I 'm holding a chunk of distilled sky . It was n't made out of any kind of paper I 'd ever seen . Nor was it plastic , Tyvek , or any other material I 'd run across . The best I can do is say that it felt like silk , although it was n't cloth either . <p> On the front it read " STEPHEN L. BURNS &; SUE-RYN HILDENBRANDBURNS " in a nice sans-serif font . No address . Where the stamp or bulk mail permit should have been there was this hologram sort of thing . Remember those holographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Space ones ? Those were pretty primitive ; you had to have the right kind of light and hold them jussssssst so to see them . Not this puppy A little tiny orange sun hung there half an inch off the envelope 's surface , pinpoint planets wheeling around it . I could even see even tinier moons wheeling around them . BTW it was n't our sun or our planets . <p> " Any return address ? " Sue-Ryn asks from behind my shoulder <p> " Nope . " I 'm still staring at the hologram , and suddenly it hits me . I can see every detail plain as day even without my reading glasses ! <p> " Nothing to show who it 's from ? " <p> I shake my head . " Not unless a version of Publisher 's Clearing House from the year 2200 and based at another star system has figured out how to send junk mail into the past . " Scary concept : twohundred-year magazine subscriptions . <p> My wife frowns , prettily . " What makes you think it 's Them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implacable forces of evil that plague us with endless junk mail , and storm window or long distance carrier sales-calls at dinnertime . <p> I point to the top of the envelope . A line of print has appeared in glowing dots of ruby light . It scrolls across the envelope again and again like a marquee . What does it read ? You guessed it : <p> YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER ! ! <p> " This is your department , my love , " I say as I try to hand it to her . She 's the one who fills in all the sweepstakes thingies . I take out the garbage . Division of labor is the secret to a successful marriage . <p> " That 's OK , " she replies , backing away . " You open it . " Her tone makes it pellucidly clear that as Guy of the House it 's my job to deal with anti-gravitic holographic mail . <p> Usually I just blow this sort of stuff off , sending it straight to the recycle bin . I figure I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or get smutched by a plummeting Chinese satellite than to win a million dollars . Now if first prize was three tons of steaming fresh manure directly delivered to your living room I 'd probably win for sure .... <p> But it is n't every day you get levitating junk mail . <p> " What the hell . " I light a cigarette , only a minor stall tactic , then turn the envelope over . On the back is this square of star-flecked blue-black , surrounded by animated script that reads : PRESS HERE TO OPEN . - Great , I think , mail that opens as easily as an aspirin bottle . <p> I take a puff of my smoke then touch the square . The envelope lets out another musical tone , then sort of moves in my hand and swims before my eyes . The next thing I know I 'm holding a letter sized sheet of amazing-excuse me , I keep doing that , astounding-blue whatever-it-is . Sue-Ryn and I exchange a How the hell did it do that ? look , then we both begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still using me as a blast-shield . <p> " CONGRATULATIONS LUCKY EARTH LING ! " it begins . After a lead like that you have to keep reading . We did , anyway . <p> We are the Oronomno , and soon we will be visiting your lovely blue-green planet ! We come in peace , hoping to institute mutually beneficial diplomatic and trade relations between your people and ours ! We are a peaceful , funloving people , interested in and most excited by your various arts and social inventions ! For access to these great cultural treasures of yours we will offer various extremely useful technologies ! You will be so glad you met us ! We promise ! ! ! <p> By now you are most certainly thinking , This sounds good , but what has it got to do with ME ? ? ? You are , after all , an ordinary human reading a piece of unsolicited ( and no doubt perplexing ) piece of mail . Not an astronaut or diplomat . <p> Do n't worry ! ! We want to make unobtrusive , non-threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! ! Study of your folkways has shown us that this is a preferred method of locating and establishing contact with individuals who would be interested in what the contactor has to offer , of advertising goods and or services , and of stimulating interest in a Special One Time Offer Which this is ! ! This junk Mail Sweepstakes methodology of yours is a splendid invention , entirely new to us , and if it proves useful to us your race will of course be generously compensated for the concept ! Very generously ! ! Wait and see ! ! ! <p> Still , you are asking , WHY ME ? ? ? <p> Here 's why Because this is your LUCKY DAY ! ! ! <p> You are not alone ! Both in the universe , and in having been contacted by usf Several thousand of these offerings have been inserted into your mail system worldwide . Those who respondand we do hope you are one of them ! -will be automatically entered into a drawing for a wonderful , literally OUT OF THIS WORLD PRIZE ! ! ! @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars ? A fine luxury automobile ? Perhaps a high-performance watercraft ? A lifetime supply of citrus fruit ? No , lucky human , what we are offering is far more te ? 71fic than any offer you 've received before ! ! Of that we are certain ! ! Then what is it , you ask ? <p> We want you to be one of the one hundred lucky humans who win a fabulous FOUR DAY ALL-EXPENSE-PAID VISIT TO THE VIRTUAL ORONOMNO HOMEWORLD WE HAVE CONSTRUCT ED ON THE PLANET VENUS ! ! ! <p> Never heard of the place , you are most assuredly thinking Of course not ! We just built it last week ! Besides , this is why we are contacting you ! We want YOU to be among the first to taste some genuine old fashioned downhome Oronomno hospitality ! ! <p> Let us tell you , lucky earthling-and your lovely mate reading over your shoulder-the virtual Oronomno homeworld contains all the amenities of the original ! Once there you can shop in stores operated by our people and other races with whom we trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most beautiful city ! Taste exotic foods such ditthral , roool pie , and y1o under glass ! Relax on the terrace of the splendid Hotel Ob , watching our orange sun set over the fuscia sands of the fabled Olmana Ocean ! Game in our casinos ! Watch exotic performances ! And when you decide to retire for the night , you can perform your race 's mating ritual in Hotel Ob 's zero gravity bedsuites ! There are thousands of out of this world wonders waiting to be experienced , but ONLY IF YOU RETURN YOUR ENTRY ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! <p> Why are we offering such a fantastical prize ? What 's the catch ? ? P <p> There is none ! ! Really ! ! We just want to meet YOU ! f Think of this as an intimate get-together we are holding so that your race and ours can meet face to face befor the Big Day arrives ! ! <p> So enter NOW ! ! ! There is no obligation ! No hidden costs ! No magazines to buy ! No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon ! ! ! ! ! ! ! <p> There under all that was another dark blue square , this one orbited by the phrase : " SOUNDS GOOD ! ! SIGN ME UP ! ! " <p> I read faster than my wife . I skimmed it a second time , looking for catches , and caught up with her at the end . <p> " Well , " I said in a bemused tone , <p> " We 've never been to Venus . " <p> " We never go much of anywhere , " she pointed out . There was this real flint note in her voice which seemed to suggest that Id been the reason we 'd passed up several previous chances to visit another planet and meet an alien race . <p> I stared at her . " You mean you 'd go ? " She bit her lip , then shrugged . " Sure . If you 'd go . " Meaning the decision was mine . <p> " Thanks , " I grumbled . My perfectly sensible natural inclination to avoid travel at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , excuses , and considerations both practical and admittedly far-fetched were popcorning in my head . <p> Unfortunately it was n't quite that simple- My equally natural cynicism and pessimism sort of buttered the popcorn with the thought , Right , like you 're going to win . Sweepstakes odds-for an all expenses paid alien vacation giveaway@ no less ! -made it safe to exhibit a cheapjack largesse and say : <p> " Sure . What the hell . If we win I 'll go . " <p> I thought I was home free until last month . It was a crummy day , and I was working upstairs in my office when the mail came . I went downstairs , grabbed a jacket and ran out to get it from our roadside box . As I was gathering up the ads , magazines , and real mail , another floating letter leapt out of the pile and hung there in the air before me . We seemed to stare at each other , me with dismay , and it as smug as first class . If that was n't bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to avoid it . <p> I knew this could n't be good newsat least not what I would consider good news . So I just left it hanging ( so to speak ) and headed back for the house . <p> Stan , the damn thing followed me ! Some of these junk mail bastards can be satanically persistent , bombing you with an endless flood of multiple mailings . We 've all grown used to that . But this thing was the Hellhound of junk mail . When I saw what it was doing I started to run . it just moved faster , zipping along beside me . I tried to slip through the door and leave it outside , but the damn thing flicked past me . <p> Sue-Ryn had come down from her workroom and was standing by the bottom of the stairs . " Any good mail ? " she asked . <p> " Not hardly , " I growled , making a futile grab for the envelope . It evaded me and flew straight to her like a trained bird , landing gently in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then back up at me with a big grin . <p> " Guess what ? " she crowed . " We 're semi-finalists ! " <p> Last week another letter came . That 's right . We frigging won . <p> Tomorrow at two we 're supposed to have our bags packed and be ready to go . No UFO 's in the back yard , they 're going to beam us right out of our living room and straight to the front desk at the Hotel Oh . I ca n't even plead logistics as a reason to cancel at the last minute . According to the prize packet they will see that we are , and I quote : ' for our convenience expeditiously returned to our own space-time continuum at a point . 75 minutes after we depart ! " <p> OK , you 've read all this and you 're probably thinking : But this is wonderful ! How can Burns bitch about the chance to see both another planet AND the virtual representation of an alien civilization , hobnob with other aliens AND all of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , but when you get right down to brass tacks I 'd stir prefer to stay home . Even if I 'm only going to be gone .75 minutes as far as home is concerned . <p> No , while I 'm not crazy about meeting new people , neither am I afraid of meeting these aliens . They seem nice enough , although their Up With People enthusiasm may not wear well . Our winners ' packet had several pictures of them . You know that Furby toy ? Cross one of them with a Munchkin and you 've got your average Oronomno Joe . The Hotel Oh looks quite nice . <p> There 's only one thing about this whole thing , and about them , that frightens me . <p> These folks have matter transmission . Time control . They can build a pocket environment on Venus , for chrissakes ! They want to be liked . They want to be accepted . They want to trade . <p> We have just given this technologically superior race the concept of junk mail , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are . <p> I 'm going on this trip , I guess . I have reservations , but we have reservations . I 'll drop you a line at some future point to let you know how it went . <p> In the meantime , be warned and pass the word . <p> There 's an alien invasion coming . A benign invasion , but an invasion nonetheless . <p> Do n't bother watching the skies . <p> Watch your mail . <p> 
##1006258 Alex Ladd knew that hunky attorney Hammond Cross would be the perfect playmate .. and help clear her name in a murder case . But how would she clear her conscience ? Photograph Dangerous love " She trapped him in a web of deceit . <p> The capital letter E on the instrument panel of her car flashed red . Slic groaned with fustration . The last thing she wanted to do was stop and pump gasoline , but she knew from experience that when the guage on this car read empty , it was dangerously accurate . She pulled into the first gas station and filled up . As she was reaching to replace the gas-tank cap , another car pulled into the station . She was caught in the bright headlights and squinted against the glare . The car rolled to a stop only a few feet from her rear bumper . The driver turned off the headlights but did n't kill the engine before opening the door and stepping out . Her lips parted in wordless surprise . It was the man she 'd met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She did n't move . She did n't ask him why he had followed her . She did n't do anything but stare at him . His hair looked darker now that the sun had gone down , not as tawny as it had appeared in daylight , when she 'd first locked eyes with him by the Ferris wheel . She knew his eyes were grayish blue ; she remembered that from their dance in the pavilion . Even though the band was horrible , they 'd fit together perfectly , the top of her head even with his chin , his hand resting on the small of her back , their thighs close as they moved slowly across the floor .... There was a reason she had broken away from him after the dance . He was a decent man . An honest man . She did n't want to draw him into a web of deceit . But still , she needed him . A night with him would be her perfect alibi . She had spotted him far earlier , that afternoon , in fact , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd recognized him too . Hammond Cross , Charleston 's brightest legal light , assistant prosecutor in the district attorney 's office . He was always the one the TV Anchors interviewed when a local criminal case was going to trial . While he 'd come across as attractive on the screen , in the flesh he was irresistible . When she saw him at the hotel , she could n't believe her luck . Not that she 'd known that morning that she would need an alibi . She had sworn never again to be drawn into her brother Bobby 's wicked blackmailing schemes . But then fate had conspired against her . The man she was scheduled to meet -- the last cash pickup she was ever going to make for Bobby -- was lying unconscious on the floor of a hotel room . She did n't know what had happened , only that she could n't risk being tied to the scene of whatever horrific crime had occurred just moments before her arrival . She had a reputation and a career to protect -- and thanks to Bobby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secret . She 'd followed Hammond from the hotel to the fair , intending to make him her alibi , without an inkling that emotions would enter into it . For several seconds they stared at each other across the hood of his car . Then he stepped around the open door . Her eyes followed his progress as he came toward her . The determination with which his jaw was set said a lot about his character . He was n't easily discouraged , and he was n't afraid to go after something he wanted . He did n't stop until he was standing directly in front of her . Then he cupped her face between his hands and lifted it toward his he bent down and kissed her . His lips were full and sensual and delivered what they suggested . His kiss was warm and sweet . He applied the perfect amount of pressure without making her feel overpowered or threatened . Her lips parted naturally . When his tongue touched hers , her heart expanded and her arms encircled his waist . He lowered his hands so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the other drew her against him . He angled his head . The kiss deepened , his tongue probing . The longer they kissed , the more ardent it became . The he broke away . He was breathing hard . His hands resumed their previous position on either side of her face . " That 's what I had to know . It was n't just me who felt the attraction between us , " he said . She shook her head as much as his hands would allow it to move . " No , " she said , surprised by the huskiness of her own voice . " It was n't just you . " " Follow me ? " Protests died on her lips before she could even speak them . " I have a cabin not far from here . Two , three miles . " " I -- " " Do n't say no . " His whispered voice was ragged , impassioned . His hands pressed tighter . " Do n't say no . " Her eyes searched his , then she made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her immediately , turned , and strode back to his car . She dropped the gas cap in her haste to screw it back in . Finally getting it secured , she rounded her car and got in . She started her motor ; his car pulled up beside hers . He looked at her as though to make certain that she was as resolute as he , that she was n't going to bolt and disappear the first chance she got . Little did he know bolting was the furthest thing from her mind . When they reached the , cabin , Hammond got out and opened her car door . " Watch Your step ; it 's dark . " Taking her hand , he led her up a crushed-shell path . A porch lamp provided just enough light for him to slide the key in the lock . He pushed the door open and ushered her inside . Rather than smelling musty , like an infrequently used dwelling , the cabin smelled like freshly laundered linens . He closed the front door , separating them from the porch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached for her and she came earn willingly into his arms , seemingly as eager for his kiss as he was for hers . Her mouth responded warmly to the thrusts of his tonge that stroked and tested and tasted her until he had to pause to catch his breath . Lowering his head , he pressed his face into her neck , while her hands closed around the back of his head and her fingers combed through his hair . He kissed his way to her ear . " This is crazy , " lie whispered . " Very . " " Are you afraid ? " " Yes . " " Of me ? " " No . " " You should be . " " I know , but I 'm not . " His lips rubbed against hers in a not -- quite kiss . " Afraid of the situation ? " " Terrified , " she said . This was true . She was getting in too deep emotionally . " I noticed you as soon as you entered the pavilion , " he confessed . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did , " she murmured , feeling momentarily guilty . " We 're totally irresponsible , " Hammond said . " But I ca n't help it . " " Neither can I she sighed as his hands slipped beneath her blouse . Her head fell back as she offered her throat to his lips . Her breath caught and held when he fumbled with the front clasp of her bra , but she released a soft murmur of pleasure when his fingertips brushed her bare skin . Her hands moved over his back . Her palms skimmed over his belt , settled on his butt , and pulled him in to her . They kissed once more , a long , deep , provocative kiss . Then he took her hand again and pulled her along behind him as be felt his way across the living area into the bedroom . They fell across the bed , twining around one anotber with the , blind , mindless craving of new lovers . It was a night that would haunt him for days . When he woke the next morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her face , it as coming to life under the skilled fingers of a police sketch artist .... ( 800 ) BOOKS NOW To order The Alibi ( Warner Books , $25.95 ) at 10 percent off the cover price , call Books Now at ( 800 ) 962-6651 , ext. 1105 ( be sure to mention Cosmo ) or go online at http : **28;79;TOOLONG . Whenever you order books seen in Cosmo from Books Now , we will donate 15 percent of sales to Literacy Partners , Inc. , an organization that helps millions of nonreading women gain the literacy skills they need to help themselves and their faries . JOIN THE CLUB Have you ever had ulterior motives for making a move on a man ? Let us know : Write Cosmo Book Club , 224 West 57th St. , New York , NY 10019 or E-mail cosmobooks@hearst.com. 
##1006259 From The Killing Game , a steamy tale of seduction ... <p> Eve told Joe that it was a mistake to take their friendship to the next level , but he was standing in the doorway of her bedroom and he would n't take no for an answer . Yet another victim : a woman named Debby Jordan . Joe was sitting several yards away from her gave site . As Eve approached , she could feel his gaze on her though she could n't see his expression in the darkness . Eve had known Joe for more than 10 years , their friendship deepening after all the cases they 'd worked on together . As one of Atlanta 's top forensic seulptors , she was often paired with Joe Quinn . But what had really solidified their friendship was the kidnapping and murder of her daughter , Bonnie , eight years earlier . In her mind , there was no question that she would't have survived that tragedy without Joe 's shoulder to cry on . But lately he 'd made it clear that his feelings were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Joe patted the ground beside him . " Sit down . " I did n't expect to come here . " She sat down and linked her arms around her knees , then gazed across the field at the red flag marking the grave . " She had two children ? " he asked . " Two little boys . According to the newspaper , she had everything . A good inarriage , family , friends . " She shook her head . " A madman chooses you at randorn and takes away everything . It 's not fair . " " That 's why we all have to live every moment as if it were our last and not close ourselves off . " He was no longer talking , about Debby Jordan . " I do n't close myself off , " Eve said . " I just choose what I want in my life . " " Then you should widen your selection . It 's pretty damn miserly . " " I 'm content with the way things are . I do n't want- " " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ su@ject she had n't wanted to bring out bi the open . God knows , she tried to push it away a hundred times with him . " I think you do want it , " He was n't looking -it her . " You 've had a few sexual relationships since Bonnie died . Nothing serious . That would have interfered with yourwork . " Joe had never spoken to her before about those fleeting relationships . She had n't even known he was aware of them . " It would interfere , " she said . " Then you 'll have to learn to deal with it , because I 'm here and I 'm serious as hell . I 've watched and I 've waited . Everything I 've done since I met you has been centered on you . I do n't know why . I never wanted it . " " You 're my friend , Joe . " " Forever . But I can be more . I can Please your body . " He paused . " And I can give you a child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to even think of it , but it would be the one act that might heal you . " " Joe , it would n't work . " It will work . I 'll make it work . " He smiled . " My first goal is to get you to think of me as a sex object instead ofrs abrother . Shall I tell you how good I am in bed ? He was joking . Or was fie ? " No , I 'd rather show you . " His smile faded . " And I know this is n't the time or place . Thoughit seems as though we 've spent most of our years together balanced on the edge of a greave . " He reached over and touched her cheek . " You should thing about the fact that a good protion of the time when I 'm looking at you I 'm not seeing m ; y friend . I 'm seeing you in bed or on top of me or putting you hands on -- " He threw back his head and laughed . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photograph Passion play : He showed her what she 'd been missing . <p> " Damn you Joe . " She felt as if her face were on fire . " I ca n't think about that . But she would . She would n't be able to stop herself from remembering his words . " Stop fretting , " Joe murmured . " Our friendship will always stay the same . I 'm not trying to take anything away from you . I 'm just trying to gibe us both more . " " You must think I 'm a selfish bitch , " she said . " You 've aready given me so much . Yot saved my sanity . I 'd give you anything you wanted if I was n't afraid I 'd endup hurting you . Sex is nothing . You 'd ask for more and I do n't know if I could give it . The boy who got me pregnant with Bonnie left as soon as I told him I would n't get an abortion . That was n't exactly- great training . I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " " You can handle anything . " Yeah ? I have n't handled any sexual relationship since with great skill . " That 's because it was n't xxth me . " She laughed . " You arrogant bastard . " " Nothing but the truth . " fie pressed her head into the curve of his shouldcr . " Come on , let me take you home so you can get some sleep . " Once back at her place , she asked : " Joe ... Would yon mind staying oversleeping on the fold-out couch ? This serial killer has me all freaked out . You know , I ca n't stop thinking of Bonnie . He 's made it all come back , and I feel powerless all over again .... " She could n't help it , hut she felt tears burning at the corners of her eyes . " Shhh , " Joe mured , stroking her hair . " Of course I 'll stay . " Eve bronglit out some blankets and pillows , putting on a big show of making up the bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bed . She reached over and turned out the light . " You should n't have clone that . I wanted to see you . " Joe was standing in the doorway , a dark figure silhouetted by the light in the hall . An unmistakably naked figure . " Joe , I do n't want to hurt your ego , " she said . I do n't want to hurt you at all . That 's why this ca n't happen . " " You want it to happen . " Eve hesitated . " Of course it 's crossed my mind . You made sure of that . " " And I mean to make the most of it . " He lifted the blanket . " Scoot over . I 'm coming in . " His naked thigh touched hers . She moved over . " It 's a mistake , Joe . " His hand covered her breast . " Never . " He ran his hand down her stomach ... searching ... finding her ... She could n't breathe . " Please . " " Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " You 're riot kissing me now , " she said . " I 'll get around to it . I 'll get around to everything . " Her phone rang . Joe muttered a curse . She whispered , " Turn it off . " He started to get off the bed and then stopped . He moved back over her . " I promise you wo n't hear it soon . " She no longer heard anything but the beat of his heart against her ear . She did n't speak when it was over . He was silent a moment . " After 10 years , I think I deserve the words . Ten years . She felt tears sting her eyes . " If I were n't sure you 'd be completely impossible , I 'd tell you that you were pretty good . " " Pretty good ? You mean a stud , a stallion . Brad Pitt , Keann Reeaves , and Casanova rolled into one . Do n't be afraid to love me , Eve . I 'm not a helpless child who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survive another 50 years . " " I 'm not afraid . " " The hell you 're not . " He lowered his head , his lips barely touching her own . " But that 's okay . You do n't have to say you love me. -1 can wait . " " I do n't love you . Not the way you want me to love you . " " I think you do . But if ou do n't , that 's okay too . " " It 's not okay , " she cried . " It 's all wrong , I 'm damaged . No one should know that better than you . " " You 're damaged ? I 'm the one who 's been obsessed for the last 10 years . " " It 's not the same . I can't- " " Shh . " He moved over her again . " Do n't think . Do n't analyze . Let everything fall into place . Enjoy .... " ( 800 ) Books Now <p> To order The King Game ( Bantam , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Books Now at ( 800 ) 962 -66 51 , ext. 1105 ( be sure to mention Cosmo ) or go online at http : , @/vw , books Whenever you order books seen in Cosmo , from Books Now , we will donate 15 percent of sales to Literacy Partners , Inc. , an organization that helps millions of nonreading women gain the literacy skills they need to help themselves and their families . JOIN THE CLUB Have you ever had a friendship catch fire ? Let us know : Write Cosmo Book Club , 224 West 57th St. , New York , NY 10019 or E-Mail . Footnote Adapted from THE KILLING GAME . Copyright ( c ) 1999 by Iris Johansen . Published by Bantam Dell Publishing Group . <p> 
##1006260 For a Black woman in bondage , keeping faith with her own heart and having her man and children near could be as elusive as freedom itself <p> AMID THE WEARINESS OF WORKDAY 'S END , Sarah-Bell savored the quiet of oncoming twilight . Lilting into the breezeless amber of the October evening , a mesmerizing wordless song flowed from her full , plum-colored lips as she plodded down the dusty lane . Her ankle-length , sweatsoiled skirt swished with each step . Beside Sarah-Bell , **29;28;TOOLONG one hundred-eighty-seven pound Jim One-Toe hobbled along , deftly dragging his maimed left foot . One-Toe smiled in admiration of the way Sarah-Bell ended each phrase of her improvised reel on a little upward swoop that just naturally made a man feel good . " Sarah-Bell , you sing so pretty . Can I be your man ? " Sarah-Bell furtively peeked over at One-Toe , smiled and immediately refocused her gaze on the last visible tip of the orange sun swiftly falling behind the nearly clean-picked field of cotton plants . " One-Toe , you know I got a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the time , " One-Toe retorted . A quick grin flashed across the dimpled midnight of his handsome blue-black face . Almost two good moons had passed since anybody had seen Mule-Boy visiting Sarah-Bell . Gathering was most over ; Mule coulda been sold off by now-everybody knowed Master Gilmore over to the next plantation was good for sending you down the river at the drop of a hat . Sarah-Bell scrutinized the squinting sincerity in OneToe 's eyes . " It air ; t that he do n't . He ca n't co ... " Suddenly interrupting herself , she hiked up her skirt as she stepped around a fresh pile of horse droppings . Then , shooing away a fat green-and-black fly with a quick fan of her field-toughened hand , she picked up her thought , " ... and you could n't be with me every night neither , that is , if'n I was to even let you come by at all . " One-Toe was encouraged that Sarah-Bell was at least considering the merits of being with him . He spied a glimmer of interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Naw . I do n't think so , One-Toe . I thinks I can wait . " " Yes , ma'am . " One-Toe was disappointed , but not discouraged . He had plenty days ahead to blow gently on the spark he glimpsed in Sarah-Bell 's pecan-shaped eyes . He reckoned harvesting the love of a woman like this was worth a long season of planting and weeding . " But if you was to get tired a waiting . I would come . You know I would . Like a bird to the nest . I would come to you every night I could . " " Photograph <p> " Which make you no different from my far-away man who come to me every night he can . " " Well , do n't forget I 'm closer to the nest . I can get to you quicker than him , even if'n I ai n't got but one good foots , " One-Toe joked . Sarah-Bell grinned as One-Toe made fun of his own infirmity . She liked his gentle humor but she did n't feel a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even a fine man like One-Toe . Sarah-Bell gracefully waved to One-Toe and spoke in a husky half-whisper as she strolled on , " Good night , brotha One-Toe . " One-Toe peered longingly at the broadness of SarahBell 's back and the ampleness of her hips . He looked til his imagination was as full as it could stand to be . One-Toe wanted that pretty-singing woman . He had seen a bunch of women who was face-prettier , but he had never heard no one or nothing what sang prettier than Sarah-Bell . One-Toe had been thinking so hard about holding SarahBell in his huge am-is , he missed catching sight of the White man , Chester Browne , squatting nearby her door . When her singing faltered and then abruptly fell silent , One-Toe quickly surveyed the area to see what disturbance had stilled Sarah-Bell 's song . One-Toe glared at Chester , who was the plantation overseer . Everybody knowed what a driverman in the lane after hours waiting by a woman 's door meant . One-Toe spat into the dust , turned and drug himself into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he heard the thudding shuffle of Chester 's horse moseying past the open doorway as Chester and Sarah-Bell rode out the lane . A high-pitched whinny from the horse taunted OneToe , but he refused to look up at the too-familiar abduction . One-Toe forcefully buried his face in the gritty dirt floor and stifled an urge to say something , anything-a word , a sound , her name . Chester was n't talking , and Sarah-Bell was n't singing . The chomp chomp chomp chomp of the sorrel 's hooves echoed against the mud-caked wall of One-Toe 's sleep space and reverberated inside his skull . Sarah-Bell 's silence tormented One-Toe . He would gladly let them ax-chop his good right foot if'n he could visit her -- Chester or no Chester . Naw , ifn he had a cooing dove like Sarah-Bell to share nights with , he would n't even dream of running again . An hour later Chester had finished his business . Since he never kept any washing water in his cabin , and Sarah-Bell had not even dared think about going down to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself with her skirt tail before she set off to walking back . Her general habit was to immediately forget the weight of the overseer as he flu-ashed into her , but Sarah-Bell found herself mulling over her plight . Her thoughts were accompanied by the crunch of her footfalls on the loamy trail . Maybe she should brave a trek over to Gilmore 's and plead with Mama Zulie for some womb-cleaning chawing roots . Sarah-Bell paused and fleetingly hugged herself I sure hope nothing that drastic is needed . Probably not . Her regular bleeding had just stopped a day or so ago . But even though she was aware that Chester 's drool could do her no hann , it sure was a mighty aggravation the way the taste of his kiss sometimes seemed to stay in her mouth for days . Luckily , on this particular night , he had mostly wanted to suck at her nipples rather than her lips . Plus , he was done quickly enough . It had n't been too long fore Chester dozed off and Sarah-Bell had been able to scoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to walking the three quarters of a mile back to the lane . By the time she was most halfway there , Sarah-Bell had managed to bury Chester 's assault and summon up a plaintive song to soften the knot of jumbled sorrow resting heavy in the bottom of her stomach . Shortly , for the second time , the soles of Sarah-Bell 's thickly callused feet felt the well-worn familiarity of the lane 's path . She was welcomed back by the sleeping-sounds of her people . Snores . Whistles . Sobs . Groans . A few moans from someone sick , or from someone really tired , or maybe both . Sarah-Bell was too exhausted to stumble 50 more yards down to the creek for to wash herself She would do that in the morning . And though she was hungry , she was also too fatigued to gnaw on the piece of hardtack that was secreted deep in the pocket of her skirt . Right now she needed to lay down by herself and seek the solace of sleep so she could disremember the dog-odor of Chester 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seems like smell and taste had more staying power even than the abuse of touch . Sarah-Bell 's sharp ears caught the faint sound of some animal moving in the woods . judging from the swift lightness of the rustling coming from the bushes , she guessed it must be a rabbit . An owl hooted . Sarah-Bell wordlessly empathized with the prey-run , brother rabbit , less you be somebody 's supper . Times like this Sarah-Bell wished she was brave enough to hightail it like One-Toe had done . Maybe she would make it to Mexico , which is where One-Toe said he had been headed . Sarah-Bell thought of what One-Toe had declared when they brought him back : Some gets away , some do n't . Getting free was worth the risk , worth losing some of a foot . She flinched at the thought of so permanent a loss . Even though she had survived more than her share of suffering , SarahBell still did n't know if she could stand one of her limbs being mutilated or cut away . Sarah-Bell was too drained to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't even crawl over to check on her children balled together in slumber beneath a patchwork spread of sackcloth and shirt pieces . No sooner had her darkhaired head nestled onto the curved comfort of her pillow-stone , than she was dead asleep . The next day , in the pale dim of half-dawn morning light , only one child sat where two usually fidgeted . Sarah-Bell 's heart dropped . " Where Suzee-Bell ? " " Them took her , " Johnny-Bell replied . Was no need to say who " them " was . Was no need to ask " where " they took her . We ai n't got nothing but each other , and they wo n't let us hold on to that , Sarah-Bell 's insides roiled with anger . Both man and God was unfair . Man for what he was doing . And God for allowing men to act the low-down way they did . Sarah-Bell knew Johnny-Bell would be next . She knew it just as sure as she knew a snake would eat an unprotected egg . Johnny-Bell was her fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " " Johnny ... " the child stuttered , frightened by the hissed intensity of his mother 's question . " Naw . Yo name Johnny-Bell . BELL . You Johnny-Bell . Yo brothers is Robert-Bell and Joe-Bell . Your sisters is Urzie-Bell and Suzee-Bell . No matter where they cart you off to , no matter what they call you by , you remember the name yo mama give you , boy . And if you ever hear tell of yo brothers or yo sisters , you go find " em if you can . But you remember " em even if you ca n't find " em . You remember yo people . You hear me ? " " Yes , ma'am . " The confused 4-year-old wet himself He had never heard his mother speak so harshly to him ; but he did n't cry . When she realized how hard she was shaking him , SarahBell softened her grip on Johnny-Bell 's shoulder . Her rage was n't making this crisis any easier for him . She could feel currents of fear in his little body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Within seconds Sarah-Bell reined in her emotions , mustered up her fortitude and tenderly enfolded Johnny-Bell into the shelter of her bosom . They swayed in mutual anguish as she sought to rock away his fear and her grief . Instinctively she handled her predicament as best she knew how . Within seconds of hugging Johnny-Bell , SarahBell was breathing out a long-toned lullaby and anointing the reddish-brown hair of her son 's head with song-embellished kisses . And she did n't loosen her embrace until she heard the rooster crow for day . After emerging into the muted shine of daybreak , hand-in-hand , mother and child marched down to the water to bathe themselves . Word about Suzee-Bell buzzed through the small community . just before leaving for the fields , glassy-eyed and scowling , Sarah-Bell stood in the middle of the lane sullenly declaring her determination . " Y'all , hear me . Every time I have one , they take and sell em away . Sarah-Bell is through birthing , babies . No matter who lay down with me , ai n't no mo babies coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you bear me . Done . " And with the finality of her words resounding in everyone 's ears , Sarah-Bell whirled and commenced to trudging off to the field . One-Toe scrambled to catch up to her . Without breaking stride , Sarah-Bell closely examined OneToe 's unblinking gaze . Satisfied with what she saw , she gave a quick nod and gratefully accepted the respectful silence of his company . She started singing , quietly at first but more forcefully as they sauntered on . The irresistible refrain of Sarah-Bell 's song syncopated their gait . Together , they would face another day . Author Affiliation Kalamu ya Salaam is the founder and director of the Nommo Literary Society in New Orleans . He is also coeditor , with Kysha Brown , of the anthology Speak the Truth to the People ( Runagate Press ) and the moderator of the on-line literature forum CyberDrum ; his E-mail address is kalamu@aol.com . I sing because ... " originally appeared in the literary journal Anansi : Fiction of the African Diaspora . ( For a year 's subscription to the journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York NY 10025 . ) <p> 
##1006350 Cesar Chavez squeezes a bunch of grapes to kick off a grape boycott in New York . <p> ( Long live the cause ! ) Cesar Chavez was a hero to Mexican-American farmworkers . Read our play based on his life story . Scene 1 Narrator 1 : During the Great Depression , times were hard for most Americans . The stock market crashed in 1929 . Many banks closed down , and people lost their life savings . Narrator 2 : Families that were rich became poor . Families that were poor became penniless . Narrator 1 : In 1937 , the Depression hit the Chavez family . They lived on a farm near Yuma , Arizona . One afternoon , 10-year-old Cesar came home and found his father sitting at the kitchen table instead of working in the fields . His mother was packing their dishes and silverware . Cesar : What 's happening ? Mama , why are you packing ? Librado : We ca n't pay the bills . The bank has taken our farm . Cesar : No ! I do n't want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody in Yuma has any money . They ca n't buy what we 've grown . Cesar : But where will we go ? Librado : We 'll follow the crops . Cesar : What does that mean ? Librado : It means we 'll travel across the country . We 'll follow the trail of the different crops as they ripen . We 'll begin by picking cotton in Texas . Then , we 'll come back to Arizona , and then go to California to pick grapes . Juana : Go on and pack , Cesar . We have to leave soon . Narrator 2 : Cesar had to leave his friends and the only home he 'd ever known . Many families in the Southwest were forced to make the same choice . Narrator 1 : Workers who " migrated , " or moved , with the crops , came to be known as migrant workers . Scene 2 Narrator 2 : One year later , Cesar and his family were working on a farm in Califonia . Migrant workers were mistreated , overworked , and underpaid . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 : Sometimes whole families worked in the fields even the children . Cesar started working at a very young age . Librado : You have worked hard , Cesar . Once I collect our wages , I 'll take you to the movies . Cesar : Can I have popcorn ? Librado : Of course ! Narrator 2 : When he and his father arrived at the farmer 's house , Cesar noticed that the man 's truck was gone . Cesar 's father knocked on the door . There was no answer . Cesar looked inside the house . Cesar : There 's no one here . Librado : We 've been cheated ! The man moved away so he would n't have to pay us . Cesar : What are we going to do ? Librado : Nothing . There 's no law against this . We 're migrant workers . We 've got no protection . Photograph Migrant workers being driven to a farm for work . <p> Cesar : What do we do now ? Librado : We move on , and hope the next farmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cesar grew up . He married and had a family of his own . It was 1952 . Narrator 2 : Migrant workers were still underpaid . They also risked their health working in the fields -- fainting in the hot sun , and inhaling the pesticides that were sprayed on the crops to keep bugs away . Narrator 1 : One day a man named Fred Ross knocked on Cesar 's front door . Fred : Are you Cesar ChAvez ? Cesar : Yes . How can I help you ? Fred : I 'm a member of a private agency that helps farmworkers . Migrant workers have been treated terribly for years . Cesar : You do n't have to convince me of that , Fred : I need your help . Can you arrange a meeting and invite every migrant worker in the area ? It 's time to put an end to bad working conditions . Narrator 2 : Cesar thought over what Fred Ross said . He thought of his father losing the farm . He thought of growing up in one filthy shack after another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fred : Oh , one more thing . You 'll have to do the talking . Cesar : What ? Me ? No way ! Fred : You know what it 's like to be a migrant worker . Who 's going to listen to me ? Cesar : I wo n't know what to say . Fred : Do n't worry . You 'll find the words . Scene 4 Cesar : My name is Cesar Chavez . Like most of you , I 'm a migrant worker . For too many years , we have suffered injustices brought against us and our families . It 's time for things to change ! Narrator 1 : Migrant workers in Cesar 's home got nervous . They knew that , unlike other labor workers , they had no union , no organized group , to support them . Diego : I do n't think the farmers would be too happy if they knew we were meeting . Pedro : He 's right . We should leave . Miguel : I have a family to support and feed . I ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not asking for . trouble . We 're asking for justice ! Narrator 2 : Several workers stood up and headed for the door . Cesar did n't know how to stop them . Then , he had an idea . Cesar : Wait ! You , there by the door . How old are you ? Pedro : Me ? Forty-five . Why ? Cesar : What would you say if I told you that you only have four years left to live ? Pedro : What ? You 're crazy ! Fred : No , Cesar 's right . According to statistics , the average migrant worker only lives to the age of 49 . Narrator 1 : The migrant workers looked at each other , and then returned to their seats . Cesar : Do you know why our time is so short ? Just think of our living and working conditions . Pedro : My living conditions are crowded and cramped . There are two families living in my shack ! Miguel : That 's nothing ! There are three families living with us ! Diego : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every night off the desert . That 's why my little Jose died last year . Miguel : Working conditions are just as bad . I cough all the time . It 's those pesticides . Diego : I 've fainted twice from working too long under the hot sun . Pedro : I ca n't always coughing . I 've fainted in the fields too , but I ca n't afford a doctor . Cesar : What 's have we done to be treated this way ? Nothing ! Diego , Pedro , Pedro , and Miguel ( together ) : Yes , that 's right ! Nothing ! We 're all being treated unfairly ! Worse than the bugs they spray ! Cesar : It 's time for things to change ! " Diego , Pedro , and Miguel ( together ) : But how ? What can we do ? We have no power . Cesar : We must organize and form a union ! Then the farmers will see what power is ! Diego , Pedro , and Miguel ( together ) : Yes ! i Viva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Cesar and his family stopped working in the fields . He devoted all his time to la causa ( the cause ) . Many farmworkers banded together to fight for justice . Scene 5 Narrator 1 : By the year 1965 , with the help of many people , Cesar was successful in organizing a union for farmworkers . He and the workers petitioned , went on strikes , marched , and held rallies . Narrator 2 : In 1966 , they began a grape boycott . Cesar gained international attention , and he was interviewed on TV . Reporter : We are here in sunny California with Cesar Chavez and a local farmer . Mr. Chavez , can you tell us what 's happening here ? Photograph Cesar speaks to a reporter . <p> Cesar : We 're asking people not to buy or eat grapes . Reporter : But why ? Cesar : If people stop eating grapes , the farmers wo n't be able to sell their crops to anyone . Reporter : But that would make the farmers lose money . Why do you want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of loyal service , the migrant worker is still being mistreated . We demand better working and living conditions , and a guaranteed minimum wage . Farmer Wilson : It ca n't be done . We 'll go out of business . Scene 6 Narrator 1 : People from California to New York took part in the protest . All across the country , people stopped buying grapes . As demand for grapes dropped , so did the prices . This was devastating to the grape farmers of California . Narrator 2 : The grape boycott officially came to an end on June 14 , 1969 . The following year the migrant workers won ! They were given a contract that provided a wage increase and health insurance . It also included regulations against the use of certain pesticides which made workers sick . Narrator 1 : Cesar Chavez continued to fight for the rights of all farmworkers until the day of his death on April 22 , 1993 . A version of this play was first printed in Famous Americans : 22 Short Plays for the Classroom ( Scholastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ READING ZONE Photograph Chavez speaks to union members in Washington , D.C. <p> READING ZONE Play Quiz Read each question about Viva La Causa ! Then , fill in the bubble next to the letter that is the best answer . 1 . The play Viva La Causa ! is mostly about LESSON 2 PLAY <p> PAGES 6-10 VIVA LA CAUSA : A play based upon the life story of Cesar Chavez ABOUT THE STORY : Cesar Chavez , a Mexican American hero , helps farmworkers get better working conditions by creating a labor union . VOCABULARY : boycott , to refuse to buy something or to protest ; migrate , move ; pesticide , a chemical used to kill insects ; petition , a letter signed by many people that asks officials for a change . OBJECTIVE : Students will understand problem and solution . BEFORE READING : Ask students if they have ever tried to solve a problem or difficulty . What was the problem ? What did they do to solve the problem ? Explain to students that most stories have a basic problem or difficulty the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ La Causa ! Cesar Chavez becomes a hero when he solves a problem for all farmworkers . DURING READING : Have students read the first two scenes . Have students underline the problem they find in Scene 2 . ( In Scene 2 , the problem of migrant workers being mistreated is introduced . ) Ask students to predict how this problem could be solved . Invite students to circle solutions for the problems of migrant workers when they are mentioned in the play . ( Scene 4 : a meeting of farmworkers , decision to organize and form a union ; Scene 5 : workers petitioned , went on strikes , marched , boycotted grapes , etc. ; Scene 6 : people from California to New York participated in the grape boycott . ) AFTER READING : Have students describe one social problem of the past or present . Ask students to discuss solutions for the social problem . For example , in the last issue of Action , students learned about Rosa Parks and the social problem of racism and segregation on buses . Rosa 's solution to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the bus and begin a bus boycott . PLUS : See Reading Zone : Play Quiz on p. 11 of the student edition and Succes Zone : Discrepancy Passages on p. 4 of the Teacher 's Edition . READING ZONE : PLAY QUIZ , R I I I.c ; 2. a ; 3. c ; 4. b ; 5. a ; 6. a ; 7. a ; 8. b ; 9. b ; IO.a . Action Skills Sheet SUCCESS ZONE Name : Date : VIVA LA CAUSA ! READING SUMMARIES FOR ACCURACY/DISCREPANCY PASSAGES How well do you remember what you read about Cesar Chavez ? Below are three different summaries of the play ; Viva la Causa ! Only one of them has completely accurate information . Two of the passages will have factual errors , such as " Migrant workers were farm laborers who were forced to work on one farm for years at a time : " That is incorrect because migrant workers followed the crops , moving from farm to farm . Carefully read each of the passages below . Underline any inaccurate sentences . In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next to the passage which is completely correct . Place an X next to the passages which have any incorrect information . I. Migrant families were often mistreated , overworked , and unfairly paid . It was common to find several families living in one shack . There were no set wages for migrant workers and farmers paid whatever they pleased . Cesar learned to pick crops at a very young age . When Cesar grew up , he became a successful organizer for farmworkers . He and the workers never petitioned or participated in strikes , rallies , or marches because it would have been too distracting for the workers . Cesar became famous for his work as the leader of a labor union . 2 . When Cesar Chavez was a child , his family lost their farm . They were forced to leave their home and follow the crops for work . They became migrant workers . Life was not easy for migrant workers . When Cesar grew up , he joined a movement to create a union that would protect migrant workers from mistreatment . He asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Grape Boycott . However , the boycott failed and the migrant workers were denied a fair contract . 3 . Cesar Chavez grew up during the Great Depression . His family lost their farm and became migrant workers . Migrant workers were overworked and underpaid . They were also exposed to the hot sun and harmful pesticides . When Cesar became an adult , he got involved in a movement to create a union that would protect migrant workers from mistreatment . He led a grape boycott which caused many farmers to lose money . Finally , the grape boycott was a success , and the migrant workers were given a contract which offered a guaranteed minimum wage and banned certain pesticides . Sidebar CHARACTERS *Narrator 1 *Narrator 2 *Cesar Chavez ( SAY-zar SHA-vez ) a labor organizer Librado ( Lee-BRA-do ) Cesar 's father Juana ( WAH-na ) Cesar 's mother Fred Ross an organizer who helps farmworkers Diego migrant worker Pedro migrant worker Miguel migrant worker Reporter Farmer Wilson *Starred characters are major roles . <p> 
##1006351 Based on the movie starring Melissa Joan Hart and the novel , Girl Gives Birth to Own Prom Date by Todd Strasser <p> CHARACTERS *Narrators 1 &; 2 *Nicole Maris , a high school senior *Alicia. her best friend *Chase Hammond . Nicole 's neighbor , also a senior *Ray , Chase 's friend *Dave , Chase 's friend *Dulcie , Chase 's girlfriend Liz , Dulcie 's best friend Chloe . a popular girl Sue . a popular girl Dee Vine , a popular girl Brad Seldon captain of the basketball team Mrs. Maria , Nicole 's mom Mr. Hammond . Chase 's dad Mr. Rope assistant principal Joshua a college student Eddie , a popular boy *starred characters are major roles SCENE 1 Narrator 1 : Nicole Maris is one of the coolest , most popular girls in her school . She hangs with all the right people and wears all the right clothes . Narrator 2 She is getting dressed for school . Her phone rings . She hits " speaker " and keeps searching . Narrator 1 : Nicole 's best friend , Alicia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to go yet ? Nicole : Clothing crisis . I 'm headed for Mom 's closet . Alicia : Trouble with Operation Brad ? Nicole : We 've got exactly two weeks left and he still has n't asked me to the Centennial Dance . Basketball star or not , the boy needs to move faster . Did Bob Patton ask you ? Alicia : Yes . The answer was no . I ca n't go with him . The guy has no jump shot . Narrator 2 : Nicole 's next-door neighbor Chase Hammond is a member of the alternative , blackjeans-and-T-shirt crowd . He 's trying to eat his cereal , but there 's no milk . He goes into the backyard . His father is holding a pitcher of milk , talking to Nicole 's mom at the backyard fence . Nicole arrives at the same time , looking for her mom . Chase : Pops , can I take that milk off your hands ? Nicole : Mom , where 's your white halter top ? Photograph Melissa Joan Hart plays Nicole Maris , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plays Chase Hammond , a member of the alternative crowd <p> Chase &; Nicole ( to each other ) : Oh . Hi . Mr. Hammond : Can you believe they 'll be in college next year ? Seems like yesterday they were playing in that tree house . Mrs. Maris : Nicole used to say she was going to marry Chase . Nicole : Mom ! Mr. Hammond : Once I found Nicole 's school picture in Chase 's pillowcase . Chase : Dad ! Milk . OK ? Mrs. Maris : You two used to do everything together . What happened ? Nicole : Junior high happened . SCENE 2 Narrator 1 : Chase and Nicole 's high school is unofficially nicknamed Time Zone High . At the school 's TV studio , Ray , the camera man , checks his gear . Sue , the anchor , prepares for the morning news program . Chase ducks his head in . Chase : Ray ! After school , behind the cafeteria . Be there . With camera . Ray OK , now beat it . We 're on air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Time Zone High ! Our top story today - the school centennial . Two weeks to go , and excitement mounts . The senior-class bash promises to make history . Here 's Nicole Maris of the centennial committee . Nicole ( on the air ) : It 's a dance , a celebration , a once-in-a-lifetime moment - a perfect evening . Narrator 2 : After school , the centennial committee meets on the cafeteria patio . At the table are Time Zone High 's most popular girls : Nicole , Alicia , Chloe , Sue , and Dee . Chloe : How 's the budget looking ? Nicole : We 've still got over $16,000 . Chloe : Good . I 'm working on a deal to get a jumbo screen . Dee : Is everyone in the school invited to this thing ? Nicole : Sure . Sue : Maybe we should implement some quality control , like a dress code ? Look at them . Narrator 1 : Sue points at Dulcie and Liz , girls in black with dyed hair . A banner above them asks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? " Narrator 2 : Nearby , at the top of a hill , Chase , Ray , and Dave stand around a stack of old tires . They look down at the school patio . Ray videotapes them . Dave : Why are we doing this again ? Chase : To protest sheep . Ray Check . To protest sheep . Dave : What , specifically , about sheep do we object to ? Chase : Not real sheep . The herding mentality . Our fellow students . Just look at them . Drinking moccachinos . Listening to Mariah Carey . Down with sheepism ! Narrator 1 : Chase tips the stack over . Tires roll down the hill and bounce wildly all over the patio . One bounces on the committee 's table , spilling drinks . The girls scream . The assistant principal , Mr. Rope , collars Ray , Dave , and Chase . Mr. Rope : Move it , boys . My office . You know the way . Narrator 2 : Meanwhile on the patio , Nicole and the rest of the committee are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Losers Attempt Prank . Hundreds Unimpressed . Dee : Nicole , is n't Chase Hammond a friend of yours ? Nicole : Chase Hammond is a neighbor . That 's all . Narrator 1 : Meanwhile , at the table of girls in black . . . Liz : What a drag , Dulcie . Your boyfriend 's getting sent up the river . Dulcie : He 's not my boyfriend . Boyfriend implies possession . People do n't possess people . That 's slavery . Liz : Cool . SCENE 3 Narrator 2 : That night , Nicole and Alicia are at the basketball game , watching Brad Seldon run the court . Nicole : What 's taking Brad so long to ask me ? I 've got the perfect date all planned ! Narrator 1 : The girls watch as Brad runs the floor and scores . Nicole : He 's gorgeous . Alicia : He 's just someone to take a picture with . Nicole : So ? He takes a good picture . Alicia : Shallow . Nicole : Said the plate to the saucer . Narrator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are hanging out at the alternative-music spot in town , the Insomnia Cafe . Narrator 1 : Everyone there is dressed in black . Some college students set up a microphone . Liz : Ray , when are you going to do real news instead of all that school-spirit propaganda ? Chase : Ray 's got a plan . He plays their game for as long as he can stand it , and then one day . . . he takes over the station ! Narrator 2 : A college student steps up to the microphone . Joshua : I 'm Joshua Hill with the Animal Liberation Front , and I 'd like to tell you what 's going on at campus laboratories . Chase : No way . Let 's go . Dulcie : Wait . I want to hear this . Joshua : Medical research : That 's the two-word excuse for the animal abuse taking place in school labs . Dulcie : Why are n't you into this ? It 's important . Chase : Let 's just go , OK ? Dulcie : You think you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tires ? What a joke . Narrator 1 : Suddenly , Dulcie 's conversation sounds serious to Chase . Chase : Wait a minute . Are we breaking up ? Dulcie : We 're heading in different directions . Narrator 2 : Back at the game , Brad dives for a loose ball and crashes into a cheerleader for the visiting team . Their eyes meet . Later , at a party , Alicia gives Nicole the scoop . Alicia Bad news : Adonis Jock Falls for Rival Spirithead . Nicole : Translation ? Alicia : That cheerleader - the one Brad landed on at the game ? He did n't just fall on her , he fell for her . Brad 's in love . He 's taking her to the Centennial Dance . Nicole : If I start crying , slap me . Alicia : Cry over this and you 're taking a cab home . Nicole : Fine . Leave me with the embarrassment of going to the biggest dance of my life alone . " Narrator 1 : Across town , Dave and Ray console Chase about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ta go . Narrator 2 : Dave 's been a designated driver for hire for over a year . But the only people who ever call for his services are the popular kids . The ones who ignore Dave , Chase , and Ray in school . Chase : You said you were n't doing the designated driver thing this year . Dave : It 's good for my college applications . Ray : That 's not why you do it . You want to be one of them . The popular people . Chase : They 're not worth it . They do n't invite you to their parties . Then some idiot gets drunk and they say , " Hey ! Let 's call Designated Dave ! " Dave : That does n't mean they should die in car wrecks . SCENE 4 Narrator 1 : Later that night , Chase 's phone rings . It 's Nicole . Nicole : Take me to the Centennial Dance . I 'm desperate . Chase : Gee , when you put it that way , how can I resist ? Nicole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be . Word 's out that Dulcie dropped you . Chase : Yeah . . . well . Nicole : Well , you have a tiny idea how I feel . I 'm going to be treated like the biggest loser ever at school . We can save each other from disgrace . Chase : What 's in it for me ? Nicole : If you have to ask , you 're not as smart as you think you are . Think Dulcie . Narrator 2 : The next morning , Chase meets Nicole at the backyard fence . Chase : If we try this , we have to agree to let each other out if it gets too weird . Nicole : OK . But we ca n't do this halfway if we want people to believe it . It 's got to feel real . If you really want Dulcie back , extreme measures are required . Chase : Define extreme . Nicole : To start , you ca n't wear all black . We need to clean you up . Chase : How far up ? Nicole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks . Chase : Let 's do it . Narrator 1 : The next morning , Ray talks to Nicole at her locker . He 's secretly had a crush on her for years . Ray : Nicole , will you be my date for the dance ? Nicole : Sorry Ray , but Chase and I decided we 'd go together . Here he comes now . Narrator 2 : Chase 's long hair has been clipped fashionably short . He wears khakis and a collared shirt . He looks uncomfortable . Ray laughs hysterically . Chase : Great . I 'm a walking punch line . Nicole : We 'll see who gets the last laugh . See you after school . Narrator 1 : Nicole leaves . Ray : Explanation ? Chase : I thought it might make Dulcie come back . Ray : Seriously ? How ? Chase : I figure she 'll freak out when she sees me with Ms. School Spirit , Nicole Maris . SCENE 5 Narrator 2 : After school , Nicole takes Chase to a basketball game . Chase hangs out with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halftime , a suspicious Alicia corners Nicole . Alicia : Very cute , making nice with your neighbor . Nicole : The boy cleans up nicely . Shocking , is n't it ? Alicia : Maybe . Or maybe you 're trying to make someone jealous . Nicole : Brad ? I 'm over it . Alicia : Sure . And Chase is suddenly this good friend nobody knew you had . Nicole : Maybe he 'll be even more . Narrator 1 : The next day at school . . Ray : Look , it 's Ken Doll . Dave : Careful . You could lose reputation points just being this close to us . Chase : Come on . I 'm pulling off the biggest scam of all time . Do n't you see ? I 'm in their world . Dave : It 's a scam , all right . . . but who 's scamming who ? Narrator 2 : Later , Chase and Nicole hang out with the cool crowd at a drive-in . This time , Chase is n't having a great time . Brad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own X-Files Web site . Can you believe that ? Weird . Chase : His name is Dave . Brad : What ? Chase : Not Designated Dave . Just plain Dave . Eddie : OK . So it 's Plain Dave . Nicole : Chase ? Can I talk to you ? Narrator 1 : She takes him aside . Nicole : What was that about ? Chase : Dave saves lives and they make fun of him . Typical . Nicole : Is this more us-versus-them stuff ? Chase : If the glass slipper fits . Nicole : Can you honestly tell me you 've never made fun of my friends ? Eddie ? Brad ? Chase : That 's different . Nicole : How ? Chase : Forget it . I 'm out of here . Nicole : Do n't ! If they see you leave mad , it sets us back . Chase : It does n't set me back . So far , it 's all been about you . Your friends . Your turf . Nicole : You 're right . Let 's go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The Pit , a small dance club where he hangs out . Chase sees his friends Liz and Dave . Chase : Hi - you know Nicole ? Liz ( sarcastic ) : Sure . From the slumber party last weekend . We painted each other 's toenails . Nicole ( sarcastic right back ) Right . We played Truth or Dare . You admitted liking Alanis Morisette before the record went platinum . Liz : I never liked her ! Dave : She got you there , Liz . Narrator 1 : Soon , Dulcie shows up with Joshua . Chase : So you 're going out with Mr. Animal Rights now ? Dulcie : Yeah . Chase : I did n't expect you to fall in love , Dulcie . Dulcie : I did n't expect you to fall into The Gap . Narrator 2 : After their date , Chase walks Nicole to her door . Nicole : I 've still got the letter you wrote me in seventh grade . You said you hated me . Chase : Burn it . I 'm sorry . Nicole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got sick I could n't bear to go over to your house . I was too scared . When you started wigging out at school -- skipping class , pulling fire alarms , all that - I acted like I did n't know you . Chase : Forget it , OK ? I had a nice time tonight . Nicole : Me , too . SCENE 6 Narrator 1 : Monday , in science class , Nicole and Dulcie are lab partners . Dulcie : So , have you taught Chase to jump through fiery hoops yet Nicole : Why do you care ? Dulcie : I do n't . You 're welcome to him . I used to think he had social consciousness . Nicole : Is this about the animal testing thing ? Dulcie : Your concern is noted . Nicole : Dulcie . Chase 's mother died of cancer . Get it ? Animal testing . Medical research . Narrator 2 : The day before the Centennial Dance , Brad throws a party . Ray sneaks in and secretly tapes everything . Chase : What did you tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : She 's acting freaky around me . Nice , even . Nicole : I guess our mission is nearly accomplished . Chase : I guess . Narrator 1 : Later , Chase frowns and stares as Brad flirts with Nicole . Alicia taps Chase 's shoulder . Alicia : Who would have guessed that underneath all those black T-shirts of yours there was a heartbreaker dying to get out ? Chase : Right . Alicia : Just think - if Brad had n't fallen on that cheerleader , Nicole would have the guy she really wanted . Chase : Yeah . Just think . Alicia : Chase . Are you sure Nicole 's the one for you ? Narrator 2 : Seeing Nicole coming their way , Alicia grabs Chase and kisses him . Confused , Chase bolts . Nicole : Explanation ? Alicia : I wanted to see if what he felt for you was true . Clearly it is n't . I did you a favor . Nicole : The thank-you note is in the mail . You 're miserable and you do n't want to see me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll find a new date . Nicole : You 're right . Brad is back on the market . Narrator 1 : Chase bangs his head against a wall . Dave drives up as Eddie staggers outside , leaning on Dee . Dee : Sorry , Dave . Eddie 's drunk , and I ca n't drive his car . Eddie : Shut up ! I do n't want any dumb chick driving my car . Narrator 2 : Dee looks at Dave , embarrassed . Dave : You 're walking , Eddie . Eddie : This is n't revenge of the nerds , Designated Dud . Narrator 1 : He knocks Dave down . Eddie : Get up and drive me home . As for you , Dee . . . Narrator 2 : Dee sprays Eddie with pepper spray . He screams as Dee and Dave drive away . Narrator 1 : The next day is Friday , the day of the big dance . Dulcie tells Chase she wants to get back together . Undecided , Chase sits next to Nicole in homeroom . Chase : Let 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were going to make this easy to get out of . Remember ? Chase : So that 's it ? It 's over ? Nicole : You need more closure ? Chase : I guess not . Narrator 2 : On their TV screen , Ray 's video masterpiece suddenly goes on the air . They see a stream of embarrassing images -- Chase banging his head , Eddie staggering drunk , Alicia cornering Chase , Dee spraying Eddie . At first , Chase is upset like the rest of the cool crowd . Then he looks at himself and laughs . SCENE 7 Narrator 1 : That evening , before the big dance , Dulcie and Chase are in Chase 's backyard . Chase : You ready for the dance ? Dulcie : Be serious . We 're going to the Insomnia . Decent music . No dress code . No stupid decorations . . . Chase ? Narrator 2 : Chase is surprised to see a limo pull up at Nicole 's house . Ray and Nicole get in the back and head to the dance . Chase : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dance , Mr. Rope is center stage , with Mr. and Ms. Time Zone behind him . Mr. Rope : Now , to officially get the party going , I 'm proud to present Mr. and Ms. Time Zone . First up , Ms. Time Zone , Dee Vine , escorted by Dave . Ray Dave is with Dee ? Cool ! Photograph Explosive situation : Dulcie ( played by Ali Larter ) and Nicole are lab partners . Photograph Chase and Nicole : The real Mr. and Ms. Time Zone ? <p> Mr. Rope : And now , Mr. Time Zone , Brad Seldon , accompanied by Alicia . Nicole : Surprise , surprise . Narrator 2 : Alicia saunters over to Nicole and Ray at the punchbowl . Alicia : I 'm so sorry , Nicole . I really thought Brad would ask you . Nicole : He did . I said no . He was bummed , so I let him know you were up for grabs . Narrator 1 : Alicia stomps away . Nicole and Ray laugh . Ray : Nicole , I 'm sorry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dance , so I volunteered to tape it for the news . I was going to blow it off , but . . . Narrator 2 : Ray turns Nicole so she can see Chase walking toward them . Nicole : You know it was all an act , Ray , that stuff between me and Chase . Ray : And it worked . You 're a great couple . See you . Chase : Where 's Ray ? I was going to ask if I could cut in for a dance . Nicole : Really ? Who are we making jealous this time ? Chase : Everyone , Nicole . Everyone . Understanding DRIVE ME CRAZY <p> Answers Sidebar Vocabulary words are highlighted in blue . <p> 
##1006358 Inventions can find applications quite different from what the inventor had in mind . . . <p> I would have got around to him all by myself , sooner or later . I 'd promised to do that , and I 'd made the promise to myself . It is not a good idea to break a promise you make to yourself ; it might just start you thinking that you 're not trustworthy-which is harmful to your mental health , whatever it may be . Roubor Transic , that unpleasant fellow , was definitely going to be a target marked For Destruction by Gerald Knave : Survivor-sooner or later . After all , the man had made his hobby into a very high-paying living , and his hobby was torture . Something , clearly , had to be done . But before I got around to it on my own-well , I 'd been busy-Marechal Field ran into me . He 'd planned to do that , and he 'd left his home planet , and all the lovely surroundings to which Marechal Field and all his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where I 'd been clearing up a small matter for an old-almost a senile-friend . I 'd been staying at a decent hotel in Barra , which is the planet 's one and only capital city , and I was not hard to find : why should I have been ? Marechal Field , fifty years old and an erect , soldierly figure of a man , with ice- blue eyes , large white mustachios and a shiny bald head , wasted no time at all in showing me the ransom note . It was short , to the point and almost completely unhelpful . Leave one million dollars in good metals in a locker in Gravesend Port . You will be watched . Do not set any guard on the locker ; or attempt to oversee it in any way . Whether or not you leave the ransom , your daughter Melissa will be RF turned to you . If you do leave the ransom , she will be returned alive , unharmed and in one piece . Roubor Transic " The torture business , " I said reflectively , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Field grunted . " There 's no time , " he said . " I see that , " I said . Transic had written almost a generic ransom note : no specific locker named ( well , Field would , it said , be watched ) , and no deadline set for payment . Only the name of the victim had been filled in . " When did you find out Melissa was missing ? " I said . It did n't sound like a useful question , but you have to start somewhere . Field ignored it . " I called him , " he said . aI needed time to get the moneyto turn it into metals-so I called him . He was-my God , Knave-he was very pleasant . " " He has a lot of ways of getting rid of his aggressions , " I said . It was n't a bad setup for a ransom demand : leaving the locker number open meant that Field had to be absolutely certain he was being watched when he dropped off the money ; that got Transic better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could think of . And the open date put Transic in phone contact with Field without Transic 's having to initiate the call . " I suppose he did n't say anything incriminating over the phone , " I said . " He discussed the delivery of something for payment , " Field said . " I forget what . Oranges , I think . No , peaches . Oh God , he went on and on about how lovely this particular peach was . " That was Transic 's style : whenever you can safely stick pins in a victim , do so . " And you arranged a date , " I said . " I asked for ten days , " he said . " Transic gave me a week . I-I made arrangements immediately-and then I- " " You came to find me , " I said . " Maybe Transic had you followed every minute after the original note had been delivered . And maybe not ; no sure way to tell . Just by the way , how was the note delivered ? " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some postal office or other on the Reel . " Which was Transic 's planet of residence . All very simple , all very neatand as risk-free as a kidnap demand ever gets . " My God , Knave , " he said . " This is Roubor Transic . You 've got to help me . Melissa-she 's twenty-two , she 's just a kid . My God , Knave . A week with Transic- " " He wo n't harm her until day eight , " I said . " He wants his ransom-and he might be thinking ahead , to making a demand on someone else , somewhere else . So he 'd return the girl in good condition . " I was nowhere near as sure of this as I hoped I sounded , but Field nodded and looked a little relieved . " I suppose so , " he said . " Kidnapping-and the police can't- " " Once she 's returned , " I said , " she can complain to somebody . But it 's not likely to do any good . Transic will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolitho , or on Earth , or God knows where . " " But- " " Transic tortures people , " I said . " Lots of other people know about that , though he 's been careful enough to avoid arrest-so far . And being on the Reel , that odd so-called pleasure planet where money makes most of the laws , helps a lot . " He said it again . " But- " " A man who has a reputation for torturing people , " I said gently , " can usually scratch up people who will swear to anything he wants them to swear to . " Field sighed . I was thinking fast , but I tried not to let it show . " I suppose so , " he said . " Knave- " " Will I help you ? " I said . " If I agree , you 're going to have to help me . " " Money is n't important , " he said . " Melissa-my God , Knave , she 's just a kid . In Transic 's clutches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " " She 'll be fine , " I said firmly . " And I was n't talking about money . I 'll need things from you . Supplies . This is n't going to be easy . " " But you will -- " " I will , " I said . And felt doubtful about it , right then and there . Marechal Field was , as I may have implied , a very rich kind of fellow . He 's the Field of Field 's Fields ( try saying those six words five times fast without feeling like a damn fool ) , a company that might as well be alone in its area of expertise , small field work . Large fields-shielding for a building or a person or a ship , say-are common enough , but small fields are a little special : they 're the kind of thing that is perfectly possible in theory and only just barely possible in actual fact , for sixty or seventy perfectly good , and very lengthily technical , reasons . Field had found a trick or two for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance , or one particular bit of your lab equipment-or , in fact , anything . He was working , he told me ( I talked with him for quite a while that day , feeling that , once I 'd agreed to help , the flow of conversation would keep him calmed down-and after all , we had to do something while he was on and off the phone ordering wooden crates and the latest in human-sized shields and so on ) -he was working , at any rate , on a fascinating notion : fields small enough to be used as lubricating tools . " We can wrap individual ball bearings , for instance , " he said . " The field can be beamed from a distance-about a quarter-mile is the beam limit-and the generating equipment weighs less than most lubricants , for complex jobs . Beaming equipment miniaturized , of course . " " But it 's got to be more expensive than lubricants , " I said . " Yes and no , " he said . " Power costs are minor . And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak-the generator , suitably instructed , has a good lifetime . Specify your field , specify location and shape and strength , specify thicknessjust name it-and the generator 's good for fifty years before maintenance check , minimum . It costs more than a can of lubricant-but you never have to buy a second can . " " Even so- " I said . " The first sales are going to be to people rich enough to want the novelty , and boast about it , " he said . " People who want it for their cars or planesthe generator 's really lightweight-or for some household device like a Robbie , or any mech . " " And rich enough so they wo n't mind the price , " I said . " We think there are enough people like that to make quantity production feasible , " he said . " And that lowers cost-which means price will go down , in a couple of years , and we can realty start selling the thing . " It sounded as if Marechal Field was going to have a brand-new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A million dollars in ransom was a drop in the bucket . But Melissa Field was n't , in fact , all that safe in Roubor Transic 's hands . And I had said I 'd help out . And there was that promise I 'd made to myself , too . But , as I 'd also said , it was n't going to be easy . The first step was the delivery , as from a third party who had no known connection either to me or to Field , of a crate of chains and manacles-a big , expensive wooden crate , full of perfectly good , even showy equipment-to Transic . The second was a flat-out , open assault on Roubor Transic 's combination home , office and torture dungeon-his large manor house on the outskirts of one of the cities on the Reel . A brave , thorough assault by Gerald Knave . It failed , of course . I was shielded , but there are ways to get through any shield , and Transic , as any sensible person might have figured , knew six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was always possible that Transic would decide on the simple answer , and kill his assailant out of hand . In that case , of course , all my worries would be over , so I did n't waste time wondering about the odds . And , when you did think about it , the odds were in favor of the more complicated answer : Transic , after all , not only tortured people for hire-to extract information or to persuade them to do whatever it was the client wanted done-but as a hobby , for its own sake . He liked it . Torturing Gerald Knave seemed like his most likely aim-if , of course , he could capture Gerald Knave . I made my valiant assault , and the assault made my capture possible . It was n't an hour after the assault-my best guess ; when Transic got through my shield , unconsciousness was bare seconds away-that I woke up . My surroundings were not a surprise , but they were certainly a shock , to every available sense . I have not seen many torture chambers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows , where they 're sanitized . But this was the real thing . Transic was a traditionalist : the walls were stone , in large rough blocks , and the floor was stone too , with little gutters here and there to carry away whatever liquids were released when the place was in use . Lighting was electric , and not too dim-tradition is fine , but smoky torches are a damn nuisance to deal with , and half the time you ca n't see what you 're doing-and quite sufficient to show me a perfectly serviceable rack , a metal container on wheels filled with what I suspected were branding irons , an open closet full of whips and manacles , a knife or two lying around on the leather-covered benches-well , I wo n't do the whole list now , but none of it created feelings of delight in my bosom . The place echoed , and it smelled . Neither was a comforting fact , somehow . My mouth held a vaguely metallic taste I recognized as a very deep and basic fear . And I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on one of the benches , looking unharmed but somehow forlorn . I was chained and manacled to one of the uncomfortably rough stone walls , with a depressingly good view of the rest of the torture chamber . There is an ancient cartoon , apparently very popular away back before the Clean Slate War . In a way , it expresses the ancients " whole attitude as regards war and many other unpleasantnesses . It shows two men , both of them spreadeagled on just such a stone wall , hands and feet manacled , fixed immovably . One of them is saying : " Now , here 's my plan . . I was fixed exactly like the fellows in that cartoon , except that I had no company ; the chamber was empty . Now , I thought to myself , pulling against the chains and manacles and discovering that they had no more give to them than I expected them to havehere 's my plan . . . At that moment the door openedwith a faint creak he must have had specially built-and Transic came in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against it , and looked across to me , on the right-hand wall . He smiled . " Greetings , Knave , " he said . " It 's quite a feather in my cap , getting you here . I wo n't say I hope you enjoy your stay , but I 'll say that I certainly will-and that it will be a much longer stay than you 'd like it to be . " His smile broadened ; he was actually beaming at me fondly . I was a feather in his cap , and he was going to be handling the feather very roughly . It was not a pleasant sight , that beam of his , any more than his speech had been a pleasant speech . His voice , for one thing , was a choked sort of tenor gurgle , of great volume but little precision ; he sounded as if he were always talking around an immense wad of something moist and sticky he could neither swallow nor spit out . And his looks gave me a notion of why he 'd taken up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round , exactly , but full of unexpected swellings and concavities here and there . He looked deformed , without my being able to pinpoint any individual , particular deformity : he looked , to put it very briefly , as if he were hunchbacked all over . He was not bald ; baldness would have been an improvement . Hair stuck out on his head , on his elbows , on what I could see of his chest ( he was wearing an open-shirted jumper , in traditional black ) , in discouraged little clumps . It looked like a pale-brown kind of weed growth . His eyes were a pale blue . All in all , I could read his history in his looks , or I thought I could . If he 'd looked anything like that during his formative years , every human he 'd come in contact with had either laughed at him or run screaming away . He 'd taken up torture as revenge on a race of beings who 'd treated him so badly . They do say that to understand all is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . I understood what had made Transic what he was-or I harbored a reasonable guess at the notion-and the picture I had did not fill me with forgiveness . There was a little sadness for the unhappy childhood , but there was also the knowledge that there are , for six thousand reasons , a lot of unhappy childhoods-and comparatively few hobbyist torturers . Well , there we were , and there was nothing to do but play the scene out . " You 're going to regret this , " I said , and he beamed at me again . " I know I am , " he said . " I 'm going to regret its brevity . I 'd like to keep you here for-oh , say a couple of years . I understand you 're very fit and healthy-but I 'm afraid we wo n't be able to manage more than- , he reflected , grinning " -oh , say a week or so . " He took a couple of steps toward me . I did n't move-Hell , I was as fixed there as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , " he said , beaming , " it will seem much longer . " I said : " It wo n't be a week . In fact , it wo n't be an hour . " " Bravado , " he said . aVery good , Knave . Very good , We 'll have to see how long the attitude lasts . " Then he stopped , apparently to think . " You 're here because of Melissa Field , are n't you ? " he said . " Why should I tell you anything ? " I said . He shook a finger at me . " Now , now , " he said . " In time-in a very short time , though it wo n't seem short to youyou 'll be ever so anxious to tell me all sorts of things . " " I doubt it , - I said . " Believe me , " he said . " But what 's the harm in your telling me that ? " None , of course . But I felt reluctant to do anything that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " I happened to be on-planet , " I said , " and I thought I 'd drop in . Just by the way , where is Melissa Field ? I suppose you had her father followed when he left to see me . " " Melissa is quite safe , " he said , and the grin lessened by fifty percent . " A shame , really . I have been thinking-once I collect the money , why go to all the bother of actually returning the girl ? She 'd while away an interesting few days , I 'm sure-and I do hate to be at loose ends . Would you believe it , Knave ? When I dispose of you , there wo n't be a soul here except for me and the Field girl . " As I 'd thought , the torture business had hit a slow patch . " No servants ? " " All mechanical , " he said , with a faint tinge of regret . " They dragged you in and chained you up , of course ; I do very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bow , God knows why . " You have no idea how hard it is to find good servants -servants who will respect your hobbies . " " I think I can guess , " I said . " But about Melissa Field " In a few minutes I 'll call them , and we 'll begin . Why be tiresome ? " he said , and shrugged . " She 's safe , and she 's somewhere about the place ; what more do you need to know ? She ca n't rescue you . In fact , nothing and no one can rescue you . " " You 're sure of that , " I said . " No one else is within a mile of my house , " he said . " Telltales inside would have told me if anyone except you had entered it . " " So we 're alone , " I said . He bowed again . " Quite . " " And if anyone came within a mile of this place- " " I would know at once , " he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crate full of equipment . " Field 's wooden crate , of course . I held my breath . " Rather a transparent ruse , though , " he said . " I did examine the nice chains and the manacles , and saw nothing wrong with them- " No surprise to me , as there had n't been anything wrong with them- " but I 'm sure they were gimmicked in some odd way or other . " He smiled . " If I 'd been such a fool as to use them on one of my subjects-on you , for instance- I 'm sure they 'd have broken , or dissolved , or somehow or other let you free yourself . " " Maybe they would , " I said , and tugged at my chains . Nothing moved . " So I did n't use them , " he said . UA very nice crate , though-I had my mechs put the whole thing in the basement-unopened and unused . Knave , I 'd thought better of you-it was much too transparent a ruse . " " Really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manacles , and landed on my feet , a foot or so in front of the stone wall . Transic was staring at me as if I 'd grown a second head . I gave him very little opportunity to think things over ; I got over to him in three quick strides , and hit him once , square on the button . He went down in an untidy heap , and he was a Hell of a job to drag to the wall and fasten to the manacles . There was , of course , nothing wrong with the manacles . Or the chains . Transic found that out when he woke up himself , a good deal less than an hour later . I had one problem , but I did n't expect it to be serious , and it was n't . God knew how his mechs were keyed for defense , if they noticed some stranger poking around the various chambers ; I needed to get in and out fast , and Transic was going to help me . I 'd dressed while waiting for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did I started questioning him . I never had to use the whip I was holding ; I only had to finger it casually and look thoughtful . Torturers do not take well to even the threat of being tortured ; they feel they belong on only one side of that particular equation . The questioning period lasted about four minutes , and would n't have lasted that long if Transic had n't been so insistent about finding out how I 'd slipped out of the manacles on my wrists and ankles . " They 're built to close tightly , " he said , almost plaintively . " I 've used them so many times . . " It would n't have taken that long , either , if I had n't wanted the instruction codes for his mechs . He really did n't want to give those up , but the sight of that whip was too much for him ; he knew what it could do . And the manacles were just as good as he kept telling me they were . When I had what I needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I do n't plan to be ; I was off-planet in an hour , and back on Bolitho , accompanied by a somewhat dazed but , thank God , wholly unhurt Melissa Field . I never did tell Transic how I 'd managed things . I did n't tell his mechs , either ; I simply reinstructed them . He 'll stay there , spread-eagled to his rough stone wall , for a time we might label as " Indefinite . " The mechs will feed him , keep him clean and reasonably healthy , and keep up the house itself . But I reprogrammed the recognition codes , and they wo n't treat him as Roubor Transic , nor will they obey any order he gives them . He 's Mr. X to the mechs , a casual human to be taken care of just as well as possible , but never , never released . I never told him a thing . But I 'll tell you-not that I have to , I should think . Marechal Field had buried a tiny transmitter in the wood of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Transic 's house was big ; it was n't that big . The transmitter beamed small fields around my wrists and ankles . That 's all . The fields were thick enough to make the manacles a very loose fit , easy as Hell to slip out of , I had to stay there by holding the things with my hands until I was ready to get out . And Field has gone even further . Every bit of my ship that called for lubrication , once upon a time , is now enfielded , and I own what may be the showiest ship anywhere . If people ask how I got it , I have a variety of tales to tell them . I have a few tales about Roubor Transic , too-when I hear somebody wonder why he has n't been heard from lately . They all have him going on a long , long trip somewhere . Why disturb the fellow ? 