Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. (C) Copyright 2001. M.C. All Rights Reserved. All Reproduction for fee or profit forbidden. Copies of my stories can be downloaded from: </files/Authors/MikeC/> or at <http://StoriesOnline.net> Send all comments and suggestions to MikeC@NSpace.net ============= James Part VI. The Eyrie. Chapter 34 Dinner was fabulous, besides Nicole's creations, Sara made broiled Mahi-mahi fillets, with a shrimp, crab-meat and wild rice stuffing, served in a cream sauce. I raised my wine, "Thank you all. It is so great to have everybody here." I looked at Jules, "To the 'family'!" "The Family!" We drank. "I want to thank each and every one of you. I think you know it already so I won't get all mushy..." We drank again. "Oh, and James, let's not forget to thank Brenda for the special BJ she gave just now!" Jules toasted. At their looks and to Brenda's great embarrassment, she explained, "She did him right after he, er... tinkled. Quite the performance I should add. Right Amanda?" Amanda shrugged, "Ehh, been there, done that..." "Oh...? You didn't tell me!" "What's there to tell? I'm the youngest, with no boobs..." She sighed, "So he gets to get his jollies off me... Any which way he wants..." She shrugged. By then we were reduced to tears. Of laughter. Brenda took her hand, "Looks like it's you and me, babe... He's put me on probation. So I have to really perform..." She looked at me, "Could be years, he says..." And sighed softly. "I did it too!" Sara volunteered. "Why do I not feel the least bit surprised?" Celeste said, "You are so totally in love with the guy he can do anything to you and you won't complain!" "So? But it was REALLY exciting though! So nasty! I was coming without touching myself..." Sara sighed. "So it's my fault now I forced you to finish quickly?" Amanda asked. "Hmmm, but I got a tiny one when he was shooting..." Sara said dreamily. "Wow! Really? He didn't get you to say it because..." "No, it's true," Brenda said, "I got really excited too... Although I didn't come - I was busy with something else." She smiled. "Next time..." And squeezed my leg. I busied myself with the delicious dinner to avoid getting involved, not that I would have been allowed a word edgewise anyways. I smiled at Nicole and she winked back. "We have a busy week ahead." Nicole said as we were finishing the food, "First, the marina. Celeste and I will have to get a permit tomorrow so the work can begin. The building material will be delivered over the next week and we have to get things worked out so we can start construction. "We'll also do up employment offers for you so you can stay here the Summer. Max is aware of it and he'll back it up. "Next week, Jules, you and Amanda and Celeste will stay here while I'm away at shareholder meetings. Then Sara and Brenda, there's your shoot on Thursday - and Sherri too. James, you'll have to make the travel arrangements - and coordinate with Todd." "I'm planning to go on 'Jewel'." I said as Sara and Brenda broke out in big smiles. "It's an eight hour trip, so we'll leave Tuesday afternoon, layover and arrive there Wednesday afternoon. We'll return Friday afternoon. "It's only a couple of hours longer than by car and by plane is not much better with the driving needed." I added, "The long range weather looks clear and we can probably avoid any weather systems." "Just be careful," Amanda mused, "Not you James, I'll miss the tongue thing with Brenda and Sara..." She noticed me staring at her. "What?" "Mandie, darling,..." I smiled, "When were you intending to inform me about your plans to race this Saturday?" "Oh god!" She buried her face in Brenda's shoulder. "Oh god!" "You know all I have to do is ask Sara?" "OK, OK. It's not her fault, I told her to leave it to me!" Amanda fidgeted, "We were going to sneak you outside tomorrow morning and sorta break it to you after... after..." She was actually blushing. "That would do it." Celeste nodded, "No willpower..." "So I did myself out of some hot sex by wanting to find out too soon?" "No... James, that's not it... I just wanted a chance to explain in case you say no." Amanda looked at me, "The hot sex is yours anyways." "Amanda, Sara, you two are amazing on 'Neta'. What you've accomplished in a short time was nothing short of phenomenal. I have all the faith in the world in you." They glowed, "But, you have to realize, you'll be racing against 'kids' who may be older than you but won't have the discipline and sense of fair-play you have. That's my concern. Promise me you'll stay cool and use your head and you can go." They came around to hug and kiss me. "And one more thing, Amanda. I'm going to invite your parents up to watch." "What...? Er, oh, I guess so..." She looked at me suspiciously, "This is not another one of your devious plans to ingratiate yourself with my parents is it? I'm beginning to suspect your intentions towards me are not all pure and honorable!" "Mandie, call them tonight and tell them I'll pick them up Saturday morning - I promise I won't do anything dramatic." We finalized our plans as I finalized the food. "We have one last thing to discuss." Nicole smiled. "School." We groaned in response. "We have here a chance to spend time together and to accelerate your schooling at the same time, through something called home-education, but with a twist. I've set up an "Education Facilitator" company under JamPC using my Teaching Degree which permits us to conduct distant-learning courses and administer tests. "Now the hard part is that you are all expected to finish two grade levels by September, in other words, you have to finish a grade in SIX weeks. It means James, I would expect you to have passed your High School Matriculation and started University by then. Celeste should aim to finish first year Architecture as well. "There are a number of benefits that can come out of this. First, you would be able to convince your parents that you are responsible enough to look after your own education and need not spend time in school. "Secondly, you'll have an undergraduate degree before you are twenty. Amanda would benefit the most here - a degree by fifteen. Which may not mean much now - but that degree gives you the ability and the RIGHT to do the things you really want to. "Thirdly, this kind of program maximizes your abilities. You are not held back simply because another kid in your class cannot learn as fast. "Finally, and you're gonna like this one. Studies have shown that, for the student who can stay focused and motivated, all that is needed is an average of two hours to learn a full day's worth of classroom instructions and that INCLUDES doing the homework. And the same applies to University as well - I know, it's working for me. Essentially by eliminating the time to sit through lectures and take notes I can cut 3/4 of the time to complete my courses. "BUT, you'll need to do every question in the text books - and I want you to do it until you have it 100% correct; you have to look up references yourself and you have to find someone to help you if you get stuck." Sara raised her hand, "How do we pass?" "For high school credits, I administer a test - usually from the schoolbook, and we keep a record of your exercises to substantiate it. Universities administer their exams by Internet or by mail. It's very much a self-paced system, but I've seen you work and I have every confidence this is the way for you to be prepared." "Nicole, I'm in." Celeste said, "I'm so in you'll have to fight me screaming and kicking." "Count me in too Nicole," I said, "Anything that shortens high school is a great idea!" "Any time you need help, little boy, " Celeste leered, "Come to Mama and we can arrange to give you special tutoring - for a price!" "Nicole, do we have to go to your place to study?" Sara asked. "That's a good point. Celeste - can it be worked into the expansion?" "Already done - four computers, Internet. James has a list with everything - including the vibrating water bed." "Oh, it's settled then - a vibrating water-bed? Of course I'm in!" "Yessir, for sure!" "It's a go for me too!" "That's great - I knew you'd be all for it. In fact, your textbooks are already at my place or on order. Very simply, the plan calls for three hours per week for each one of your subjects - Monday to Saturday. Do all the exercises and, if you have problems, don't struggle by yourself - come to me or get help from each other!" We nodded. "Nicole, show them what you showed us - about 'The Look'..." Jules urged. "OK, this may help when you need to hold your own out there. Remember I was not quite seventeen when I married Gaston. No experience, just a burning need to help him..." She sighed dreamily. "He had investments in everything and I had to deal with people who had no time for a little girl. So I watched and developed a few tricks. "First of all, stand up straight - shoulders back, neck straight. For you girls, when you feel intimidated, this is really useful..." Nicole stood up, leaning slightly on one leg and rested her fist on her other hip, smiling abstractly. It was as if someone had lit a spotlight on her. She sparkled and glowed and we could not take our eyes off her. I'd forgotten how to breathe. Just as suddenly the vision disappeared as she sat, to a chorus of sighs. She continued, "That diverts their attention so they won't notice how young and insecure you may be. Then, there's 'The Look', focus on their forehead and let your eyes roll down to meet theirs; sneer the tiniest bit, just a twitch usually does it. "Speak slowly. Pretend they're learning-disabled and annunciate clearly. Repeat yourself. "Then, if they still give you trouble, ask who their boss is and stare HIM down." So we spent the next few minutes sneering and looking down our noses at each other. Amanda had us in stitches when she waddled around, giving us 'The Look' while wagging one eyebrow and tapping an imaginary cigar. "I have something else for you Nicole. I think James' idea to measure aeration is quite unique - can you find out if it can be patented?" "OK - I'll look into it, but you should all familiarize yourselves with the process. It's actually quite straightforward. Do a search on the Patent Office website for similar ideas. That will also give you an idea of the type of report they want, write it up in your own words and don't worry about the verbiage. Because after you write it up, we'd still have to get a technical writer to translate it into the obfuscated gobbledygook required by the Service, then we wait the two or more years and the patent is yours! "I'm perhaps being too harsh - it's never easy to differentiate between innovation versus adaptation versus cleverly-worded duplication. But the number of non-specific ramblings that had been issued patents bear out my misgivings. "However, a patent, even while pending, is a real, tangible commodity - and of course actual, working solutions like Mueller's inventions will pay off handsomely! "Just make sure your idea IS a tangible process and more than just concept - intellectual property is not patentable. For example, there's no point patenting an equation - you cannot stop people from thinking about it or applying it. But put it into a chart or program and it becomes a tool and then it can receive an enforceable patent." As we talked, Sara brought dessert out - stewed pear on vanilla ice-cream with a raspberry topping. Brenda said thoughtfully, "You know, I've been looking at those false signals you had the first couple of runs. And it actually corresponds closely to the actual signals at a higher speed, about 14% higher. I'm not sure exactly what it means but I have a good feel about it." "That's something we can investigate with the new boat." I mumbled around my ice cream. "And we should find an easier way to monitor the plane points..." I chewed reflectively, "In fact, we can stick little microphones in a grid - let's say 5-by-5, hmmm, 4 inches apart..." I drifted off, "Multi-channel... Isolate the sound... Spectrum..." "James, stop." Amanda said, "You're scaring us. All this mental activity cannot be doing your brain any good." "You're right, my burst of brilliance has made me hungry again!" I helped myself to another generous portion. They stared as I inhaled it. "Ahhh," I said, as I wiped my mouth, "This is SO amazing girls! Remind to me to start exercising again... Tomorrow, though! Right now I'm gonna get myself some hot sex..." I stretched and rose. They all cringed away from me. I took Celeste's hand and led her up the stairs. "What?" She sputtered, "Do you know how much WORK I got? And you want ME?!" She looked back as I took her through the side door, "Start your stopwatch! This is going to be the world's quickest quickie!" She glared at me and I silenced her with a quick kiss. Slowly I walked us up the path to the ledge and looked out. "Why do you suppose Mueller wanted to build his 'wheel' here?" "Because..." She started and stopped. "Because," She repeated after a wait, much softer this time, "he wanted his brainchild to be an expression of the natural beauty here." Another pause, "He would not be happy if we made his structure too grandiose or flashy... It should be raw, real - and permanent." She squeezed my hand as we stared at the lake. "Good, I just wanted to make sure I understand his goals..." I turned to go. "Wait, James." Celeste tugged me back, "Stay here with me. Please." She pulled me down beside her, spreading her skirt for us to sit on. "Thank you. I may reach that realization by myself at some point, but it may have been too late..." She sighed, "I would not be able to face Marjorie if I screwed up that way..." She leaned her head on me and we sat in silence. After a while she ran her hand on my thigh. "You still want the hot sex?" she said quietly. "I'm happy. Let's just savor the moment." She left her hand on me and started humming, "You know that song?" I shook my head. "Intermezzo, by Mascagni. He was the first of the story-telling opera composers and he wrote this for the birth of his first child..." She sighed, pulling my arm tight across her shoulders, "I'm beginning to appreciated that sentiment." She relaxed in my embrace, "James - I love you." and softly finished humming her song. ============= (C) Copyright 2001. M.C. All Rights Reserved. All Reproduction for fee or profit forbidden. Copies of my stories can be downloaded from: </files/Authors/MikeC/> or at <http://StoriesOnline.net> Send all comments and suggestions to MikeC@NSpace.net