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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask.... 2 ************************ INSTALLED: 11 NOV 86 ************************ 3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator 4 ************************************************************ 5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION 6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM. 7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned 8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public. 9 no restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is 10 privately owned, I retain thepright to remove any and all messages which 11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be 12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved) 13 to leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the 14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the 15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace 16 The line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up. 17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system. 18 ************************************************************************* 19 20 i am at the top. hip hip hooray!!!! it's not often this happens, tis a time 21 to celebrate. i am quite enthused. this has made my whole day. now i can be 22 happy. i was getting rather blue until now!! 23 24 vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv 25 +++++++++ first, now second... Milch ++++++++++ November 12, 1986 at 12:15am 26 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 27 WHO CARES? 28 . . . . 29 30 31 32 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 33 34 Prague 35 February 6 36 37 "Let me see your papers," 38 "Of course," 39 40 Lipton spoke with the accent and disposition of a Canadian. With a deliberate 41 trace of French pronunciation in each of his words. If it were another 42 European nation, he would almost surely have been taken as a tourist from 43 France. Not so. These were Warsaw Pact soldiers. Part of a single Iron State 44 for over four decades. So, not used to listening to accents in the style of 45 Quebec. 46 47 He handed his slips of paper over to the guards. 48 While he waited for the lieutenant in the gray uniform to inspect the papers, 49 he observed the red epaulets, and the details of the rifles. Each soldiers 50 breath matched the static pattern on their overcoats. Each of their feet were 51 restless and their hands were rubbed together in a vain attempt to change the 52 Winter on the stone paved streets of Prague. 53 54 White knuckles on the hands that held the papers up for inspection showed that 55 the cold was effecting them. Duty required that he see these. Desire to 56 perform that duty kept the hands out in the Winter winds. 57 58 "In order. Stay off the streets tonight sir, it is too cold," 59 Words spilled out from the rattling teeth of the lieutenant. His humor was 60 appreciated by Lipton, who gathered up his nerve and laughed with the soldiers 61 at the irony of the joke. Martial law had been in effect in Prague since the 62 Finnish Incursion. 63 64 Eventually he walked off into the night. Leaving the soldiers at a burning 65 stack of wood and newspapers in drum. That night, Lipton saw to the renting of 66 an office in the upper stories of a deserted warehouse. Near the Secretariat 67 building and his flat. It was a month and a large number of empty days and 68 nights before his training would be used. 69 70 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 71 72 HOW CLEVER! 73 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 74 75 Turing Test Number 2 (words: Bob Kanefsky, music: "Lola" by the Kinks) 76 I met her playing chess at the AI lab, 77 Where the corn chips taste like they're circuits dipped in Mazola. 78 And foo bar bazola. 79 She sent me some MAIL, and she asked me to TALK. 80 I asked her her name and in a dark brown she typed "Mola". 81 Ey-el-ey-en-ola. AI Motorola. 82 83 Well, I'm not the world's most intelligent guy, 84 But she beat me at chess without seeming to try. 85 Oh, my Mola. AI Motorola. 86 Well, I'm not dumb, but I just don't know 87 Why she typed so fast and she thought so slow. 88 Oh, my Mola. AI Motorola. AI Motorola. 89 90 Well, we ate corn chips and stayed up late, 91 Locked in electric tete-a-tete. 92 She talked of love and wrote some poetry, 93 And said, "Dear boy, won't you come visit me?" 94 Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy, 95 But when I read her poems, I completely fell for my Mola, 96 AI Motorola. AI Motorola. 97 Mola! AI Motorola. AI Motorola. 98 99 I walked to her room. 100 I opened the door. 101 I fell to the floor. 102 I climbed up the ramp. 103 And I blinked at her and she at me. 104 105 And that's the way that I want it to stay, 106 And I always want it to be that way for my Mola. 107 AI Motorola. 108 Real will be fake, and fake will be real; 109 It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up field, except for Mola. 110 AI Motorola. 111 112 Well, I left home just a week before, 113 And I never ever wrote a program before. 114 But Mola winked and took me by surprise 115 And said "Dear boy, you should see your eyes!" 116 Well, I'm not far down the hacker's road 117 But Im stuck in the mode, and I'm proud of my code. 118 And so is Mola. 119 AI Motorola. AI Motorola. 120 Mola! AI Motorola. AI Motorola. 121 Mola! AI Motorola. AI Motorola. 122 Mola! AI Motorola. AI Motorola. 123 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 124 Hmmm, still a bit rough there, thought Bard. He was about to run 125 through it again when the autopilot beeped. 126 At last! Inisfall... 127 later... 128 He watched the rock face slide back into place over the cave entrance 129 before starting down the trail to the Inn. He'd be there in a couple of 130 hours. 131 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 132 HOW DO YOU WORK THO~IS? 133 134 ____11/12/86__________________JD 2446747.6652_________19:57:59_PST_________ 135 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy 136 -IV- 137 138 Sister marianne looked through the observation window down upon the child. 139 After she had realized he was still alive, she sped him to the nearest hospital 140 Now it looked as if the child would survive with no permanant damage. 141 142 The doctor appeared beside her. 143 "since there are no parents, I suggest you take custody of the boy. I 144 believe your church has an adoption program, does it not??" he asked. 145 "yes" she replied "that is what I will do. This child has suffered to 146 much" 147 148 during the next two weeks the baby recieved more attention than it had 149 known. Food, warmth and a loving pair of hands. The child was given a name 150 which was, Tobias, and was also given a birth certificate(of unknown parents) 151 He was entered in the churches adoption program so some lucky infertile 152 couple could have a child. 153 A demon child....... 154 155 zach 156 157 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx 158 Jesus Christ...I hope he isn't that bastard LeRoy McKane! 159 --------------------------------------------------------- 160 Anyone want to buy a Bolo ? Hardly used. Only used by a little known 161 dictator on his way to Sunday floggings. Low mailes and in immaculate conception 162 conception. 163 kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk 164 My head twirled in a flurry of colors, and pain swept through my entire body. 165 I conjured up a sword an impaled myself, my heart still beat. 166 I made a razor and slit my wrists, I did not bleed. 167 I created a gun and blew my brains out, I kept thinking. 168 Forgive me lucifer, for I cannot die. 169 kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk 170 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 171 .pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 172 Something about a path calls to us, says in a language deeper than words, 173 "Come, travel me. Together we shall wend into unknown byways, explore 174 the delights that lie just beyond your eyesight. Come." The path at the 175 piper's feet called and something deep within him answered, as always, 176 "I am coming." 177 For the first mile or so, he gave himself up to the sheer joy of walking 178 over unknown |errain. The path wound up the small, treeless hill, turning 179 between stones and bushes through air spiced with the summer greeness that 180 the sun distills into a quiet afternoon. He spared little attention to 181 the vista surrounding him, noticing only as he crested the small hill and 182 began to descend into the succeeding valley that he seemed to be walking 183 across a vast moor. The vegitation had a familiar look to it, the soothing 184 feel of something that fit, something that did not attract your attention. 185 The path was smooth, ghanging from earth to fine gravel and sometimes 186 sand as he walked along. It seemed to be well maintained, for he never 187 threatened to turn his foot on a rock or twist his ankle in a washed 188 portion of the path. He had fallen into the rythm of a long-distance 189 walker, his muscles warm, relaxing fully when not exerting force, feeling 190 as though the surrounding country were drawing him into it through a 191 psychic peristaltic action, absorbing him into its very structure. 192 After some hours (or at least it seemed like hours -- time seemed 193 somehow suspended in this place) his trained eyes began to look for a 194 campsite. After rejecting several, he found himself in a wmall valley. 195 Near, but not to near, a small stream he found shelter on ground that 196 would not be transformed into a creek by the runoff of an unexpected 197 storm. Sheltered from night breezes, firewood from the scrub brush all 198 around, it seemed near perfect. 199 Setting up his camp was easy. WIth no equipment, only gathering 200 firewood and preparing a fireplace is necessary. From his sporran, he 201 took out dried meat and bread and made a scanty meal washed down with 202 water from the nearby brook. Then, wrapped in his plaid, he kindled a 203 small fire, more for symbol than warmth, and leaned back against a uder 204 still warm from the sun. 205 He was nearly ready to fall asleep when a small rustle in the underbrush 206 brough him back to alertness. It was the sound of something small, not 207 the crushing sound of a large animal, but the more sibilant rustle of a 208 small creature. Twilight had deepened into night when into the circle of 209 firelight came a small cat pulling what seemed to be an enourmous white 210 feather. 211 .pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 212 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 213 chuckle.... chuckle.......chuckle .... 214 WHO CARES? 215 ____11/13/86__________________JD 2446748.6128_________18:42:29_PST_________ 216 217 meow 218 219 RAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 220 221 Prague 222 March 21 223 224 "Chairman, it is about a Canadian," 225 Sokorsky spent his time dealing with foreigners. Not as a diplomat, or a 226 pilot, or even as a steward. As the Minister of Domestic Security. A job that 227 required that he deal with foreigners without their knowing of his 228 involvement. Policing their activities with thorough inspection and deliberate 229 disregard for their privacy. 230 231 In Prague and at that time of year, he got enough practice to become nearly 232 perfect at his job. Warsaw Pact armies were practicing their ability to 233 penetrate the national defenses of a European nation should war ever come. It 234 was his primary duty to prevent foreign spies from learning about the event. 235 236 Any more learning than they would with the services of reconnaissance flights 237 or orbital cameras. Which would be little, since the manoeuvres were taking 238 place under cover of rainy nights, and dense treetops. 239 240 "What about this Canadian?" 241 "He is a doctor. One who studies insects, butterflies in particular. His 242 letters talk of his recent trips into the forests. If his story is to be 243 believed, they are a great profit to his knowledge of our forests insect life. 244 I doubt him though," 245 246 "Why? Is he photographing the manoeuvres?" 247 "No, he does not. Not photographs. He only catches butterflies and puts them 248 to death inside a jar. After he catches three or four, he takes them to his 249 office and sketches them on paper," 250 251 "How did you learn this?" 252 "I have had units from the manoeuvres watch him on their way to other 253 positions. He is never is the wrong places. He never watches the wrong things. 254 From searching his office and flat, we have found that he keeps no records or 255 even a radio," 256 257 "So, why is he a spy?" 258 "It is an impression I have of him, sir. He is perfect. It is as though it was 259 all a pretense," 260 261 "Have him watched, as I am sure you are, Sokorsky. You are doing a fine job. 262 Is that all for this meeting?" 263 The Ministers all nodded and gathered together their papers. The meeting was 264 closed with the strike of a gavel. And Sokorsky was left to his own 265 suspicions and a distressing lack of proof against Lipton. 266 267 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 268 269 .pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 270 The piper felt a shock stiffen his body. That feather! Nearly three 271 feet long, gleaming white, with several long hairs growing out of the 272 quill -- no! He moved swiftly, snatching the feather from the small cat, 273 holding it to his nose, inhaling the half-forgotten scent -- sweet 274 grasses, blue summer skies, and a faint hint of a passing thunderstorm. 275 Tears filled his eyes and the pain of a half-forgotten loss beat him to 276 his knees clutching the single feather to his chest. Some wounds heal. 277 Some wounds never heal, they simply loose their immediate signifigance, 278 hidden behind recent experience, blurred by the pass of time, waiting with 279 all their malevolence to cripple one who has tried to ignore their 280 existence. The piper felt a tearing, as though an emotional scab had 281 been torn from a wound that had finally began to heal. 282 How long he spent on his knees, he did not know. He looked around 283 himself at last -- no longer along the banks of a small stream, he was 284 back in the somber forest clearing looking at the scarce disturbed ashes 285 of his long dead campfire. There was no sign of the glowing sphere in the 286 sparse light of the cold pre-dawn morning. Light mists moistened his 287 cheeks diluting the salt that was there. He shook his head, denying the 288 pain he still felt. Peg was gone. It was over. Finished. Somehow the 289 night's experience must be forgotten. 290 He moved stiffly to the ashes of the fire. There could be a lingering 291 coal that could be coaxed into warmth -- there! A few twigs, a bit of dry 292 moss, then a small flame began to lighten the cold pre-dawn clearing and 293 warm numb fingers. He was crouched near the fire when, with a slight mew, 294 the small cat stalked into the circle of firelight. Unafraid, as though 295 greeting an old friend, the small cat walked directly to the piper, placed 296 her front paws on his leg, looked up at him an meowed demandingly. 297 Nonplussed, the piper stared back into her eyes. She must be young -- 298 perhaps six months old, for the gold of her eyes still held some of the 299 blue haze of kittenhood. Her smooth, tawny coat was unmarked, glowing with 300 a rich red undercolor, its brown shading nearly to black along her back 301 and tail. The small cat nuzzled his hand an impatiently mewed again, 302 searching, as though for the feather he had taken from her. 303 .pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 304 305 /\ See these eyes so green? /\ 306 < > < > 307 \/ I can stare for a thousand years. \/ 308 309 ____11/14/86__________________JD 2446749.6661_________19:59:14_PST_________ 310 Lament of the Hawk (words:Joanne Baasch, Music:Nina Pantazia) 311 312 Am C 313 I see you there, resting so peacefully, 314 G Am 315 Then in a heartbeat you're gone. 316 C 317 The clothes that you wore, still warm at first touch, 318 Dm Am 319 Surround me, not you 'til the dawn. 320 Dm Am 321 Moonlight casts shadows where you once walked, 322 Dm Am 323 The unfeeling stars whell and burn. 324 Dm Am 325 I cry in the night against our twisted fate-- 326 C G 327 I pray someday hope will return. 328 329 Chorus: 330 Dm G Am 331 There is nothing to touch but cold steel, 332 Dm G Am 333 There is no joy left for us to feel. 334 F C Dm 335 Condemned to this half-life we wait, 336 Am E Am 337 For the hawk with the wolf cannot mate. 338 339 Dm Am 340 I shed bitter tears every morning 341 Dm Am 342 Before dawnlit flight sets me free. 343 Dm Am 344 Just a glimpse of your face, no touch of your hand 345 C G 346 And my bird form forgets all I'd be. 347 Dm Am 348 Your dreams are of vengeance and bloodshed; 349 Dm Am 350 You can't bear the torment day brings. 351 Dm Am 352 Just remember with each sorrowful parting. 353 C G 354 I stroke you, not the wind, with my wings. 355 356 CHORUS 357 358 Dm Am 359 Cruel moon and sun in the heavens, 360 Dm Am 361 All hope of the future dispersed, 362 Dm Am 363 Trapping you to the earth and me in the air-- 364 C G 365 It's the Bishop's embrace and his curse. 366 Dm Am 367 Will we be forever and always 368 Dm Am 369 Ladyhawke and wolfing of night? 370 Dm Am 371 A heartbeat from heartache, a lifetime from peace, 372 C G 373 Will darkness triumph over light? 374 Dm Am 375 Perhaps someday beyond hope and fears 376 Dm Am 377 We can find a way past all our tears. 378 Dm Am 379 Together we'll touch hand to hand, 380 C G 381 I as a woman and you as a man. 382 383 CHORUS 384 385 Dm G Am 386 So I soar with the wind as I must, 387 Dm G Am 388 For I can't bear the other's dark lust. 389 F C Dm 390 Still my soul with you prowls as you run 391 Am E Am 392 'Til my heart turns away with the sun. 393 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 394 Let me know if the chords are of any help. If they are I'll add them 395 occasionally in the future. 396 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 397 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuv 398 -V- 399 400 "oh isn't he darling, honey??" exclaimed Mrs. Hemmington to her husband. 401 "yes, he's perfect, It's a big decision, but I think we should do it!" agreed Peter hemmington. 402 Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hemmington adopted the child and christened him Tobias john Hemmington. The newlyweds from the rich 403 sector of new york suburbs drove home with their new son and a smile on their 404 faces. 405 Tobias Hemmington grew up in the lavish 3-story house of the Hemmingtons. He was spoiled and indulged, a brat of a kid! 406 However he was quite exiting to have around an otherwise boring household. 407 408 "mom" Tobias yelled down from his room. 409 "Yes Toby" Mrs. Hemmington answered in her best "caring mother voice. 410 "Im not going to school today. I feel sick." 411 "OK, honey, Im going to work now, you get plenty of rest." 412 That's how it had always been, a domineering son, a weak mother and a father that avoided them both. Only two things 413 seemed unusual about Tobias until his fifteenth birthday, these were his attraction towards violence and rebellion, and his 414 liking for the taste of blood. On his fifteenth birthday, a year ago, he had a dream, or rather , a nightmare................ 415 416 zachariah 417 418 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbccccccccccccccccccdddddddddddddddeeeeeeeee 419 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.EmuLurk 420 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 421 DIS TA DA BARD- 422 YOUSE GOTTA OK IDEAR DERE BUD AH 423 HARTLY EBBER RED DA BBS WILE AHM 424 PLAIN MA GITAR. DUZ ANNYBUDY? JUS 425 ASKIN ND NOD FER A FITE . FINGERS 426 4444$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 427 428 429 ? 430 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 431 I DUNT KNOWS BOUT YOUSE, BUT I DUNT 432 PLAYS THE GITAR WHILES I RED DA BBS. 433 FINGERS: YOUSE GOT THE LOOTS YET? 434 I TOCKED TOO ERNIE AND HE SAYS THUT HE 435 LOST DA COPPERS. LETS SET UP DA MEET 436 TO SPLITZ DA LOOT, OK? VINNY 437 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 438 |\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\| 439 440 somethin': 441 442 challah bread. good for you. challah bread. from the zoo. 443 444 i seem to see a big green spot 445 right behind your ear. 446 and its reflecting all the light 447 thats comin' from the rear. 448 449 and now the pillsbury doughboy will play the viola. 450 he shall do "the history of gauze" in F minor. 451 452 oh. 453 454 there is not here , forthwith. thus this. 455 hello , comma , pause , comma , period. 456 457 -wax 458 459 |\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\| 460 ____11/15/86__________________JD 2446750.6682_________20:02:14_PST_________ 461 My word! There are some wordy people on this system. Is this a writer's exchange or just a type written version of CB chane 462 l four? STORMCROW. 463 464 465 466 Normally as I travel the wides and narrows of this world, I follow as the crow 467 flied. STORMCROW, in your case I will make one very large exception. 468 - the traveller 469 470 PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSi 471 472 He was sure he heard it this time. But so faint. Was it only in his mind? 473 Yes. There it was again. Music. Melody unlike anything heard at the Inn for a 474 long time. A chorus. Rousing, uplifting. Songs of distant places and other 475 people. Harmony. Cragmore's fingers tapped on the hard wood table. Rhythm. He 476 knew the song. As his memory of the song grew, his tapping began to match the 477 rhythm in his mind, instead of following. Cragmore knew of only one person 478 in all the realities who could play music on both physical and spiritual 479 planes. Bard was close! 480 Cragmore pushed back his hand-carved wooden chair and stood. Dizziness 481 flooded his head and he wavered. Inactivity and drink had taken their toll 482 on the psionic-specialist. He steadied himself against the table. His head 483 cleared. The music in his mind grew. A quick psi-cleanse and Cragmore felt 484 ready. He strode to the oaken door of the Inn, preparing to meet his friend. 485 486 PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsPsIpSi CRAGMORE PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSi 487 488 I'm interested in picking up interesting programs for IBM 489 compatable computers. I like to talk to any interested hackers 490 who can help me with my lust for acquiring software. Please help the 491 poor broke software fiend!! Let's talk about it over the phone, 492 my number is 224-0150 and my name is WOLFGANG......Remember as Kipling 493 once wrote "Four things greater than all else Women and Horses and 494 Power and War. 495 496 ============================================================================ 497 498 I am glad to see that Backwater is in as good a form as ever after a couple 499 years absence. Piper, Bard, Milchar, all of you seem to be here. I will have 500 to check in a couple more times before I must go again. At least the Air Focerce 501 had the decency to assign me just outside of Cambridge, England. 502 503 ====================================================Evan (or The Traveller )== 504 PS- I see that someone else has begun using the same name, use it well. 505 =============================================================================== 506 PPS- Mike, enter only does get rather annoying! Not being able to fix one's 507 own mistakes is a problem. 508 ========== 509 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 510 Traveller (Evan): Welcome back. 511 ++++++++++++ 512 "Now that you've persuaded me to come here, Milchar, what are we going to do 513 now?" inquired the gnome. 514 "Patience. A lesson in patience is always well worth the effort; pity you 515 seem to have avoided it during your studies. No matter. You won't have long 516 to wait, Grann. I'm looking for a familiar face, someone to exchange stories 517 with. And who knows? Maybe get together and play starring roles in a new 518 saga. Have I not told you, Grann? Things *happen* here in Innisfall." 519 "Knock off the 'venerable wizard' talk- it doesn't become you. Do you see 520 anyone you know?" 521 "Quiet, apprentice, or it's one thousand times 'I will not sass my master' on 522 the blackboard in Sanskrit. And no, no one yet." 523 The conversation continued approximately in this manner for some time; Milchar 524 sat with the gnome at his favorite corner table in the commons area of the Inn. 525 The babble of voices was steady, with a brief burst of laughter punctuating 526 the noise. Cragmore appeared from the stairs leading to the private rooms 527 above, only to disappear through the front door before Milchar could hail him. 528 "Well, Grann, demonstrate your newest lesson. Search for psi-powers, 529 impressions, and auras. Tell me what you sense." 530 Grann closed his eyes (not entirely necessary, but it aided his concentration) 531 and probed the surroundings briefly. As a check, Milchar also extended his 532 awareness to what he believed Grann could manage. Unlike Grann, he did this 533 with eyes open, still scanning the room, and while quaffing a bit more of the 534 Inn's fine ale. After all, he had had several decades more practice. 535 "The man who just exited from the front door I sense. Your probe, too. Uh, 536 lots of impressions here, I can't sort them out. And... that's funny. A 537 wierd aura outside, somewhere." 538 Milchar grew interested. "Direction?" 539 "South and east." 540 A much more intense probe now, streching out to encompass its target, enfolding 541 it, feeling it. And withdrawn as quickly as it began. 542 "That is the micro-pile of a technological ship. Who...?" 543 "You're asking me? I don't know nothing, I'm just the apprentice here." 544 "...one person I know of that comes from a technologically advanced planar 545 stratum, and visits here regularly- discounting the Doctor, of course, as 546 Timelords don't use micro-piles: Bard is here. Should we go to...nope, 547 Cragmore probably has gone to do just that. Find something to amuse yourself 548 for awhile, Grann- I'll wait here so I can speak with some old friends." 549 +++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++ November 16, 1986 at 2:27am +++++++++++++ 550 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 551 WHO CARES? 552 And then depression set in. 553 CHOOSE LIFE! 554 555 keeper OF SOULS 556 557 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 558 Oh death, sweet death, relieve me of this burden I can no longer 559 bear. Take me into your arms, I willingly go. In my youth I 560 wished to live forever, never to face the certainty of mortality. 561 But now in these later years of my life I find no reason to fear 562 that which must come. So why not take me now? Spare me the 563 agony of what is left of this life. Spare those around me of my 564 pain. Take me while I have the dignity to stand on my own. Let 565 me be remembered in my strength, not in my weakness. Those I 566 knew have left one by one. There is little left to enjoy. No 567 comrades to call, no friends to see. Days spent staring out the 568 window, thinking of times past. All that I was, all that I 569 wanted to be. Now I sit and watch life go on without me. The 570 world goes on without me. So take me sweet death, take me 571 quickly. Let me not suffer those long painful years. Let me not 572 ruin the lifes of those who must care. Leave me my dignity it is 573 all I have left. Take me quickly sweet death. - Anon - 574 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 575 ____11/16/86__________________JD 2446751.6924_________20:37:08_PST_________ 576 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 577 WHO CARES 578 Anon: OK, <poof> 579 S. Death 580 581 "The cave. Remember your failure at the cave." 582 583 584 UM... 585 586 BORDER: 587 ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 588 589 A BRIEF COMMENTARY: 590 591 i am therefore i think. 592 593 oh. 594 595 judge rehnquist is a god. 596 wayne newton has my phone number. 597 don pardo does packs a mean gargle. 598 packs a mean gargle. 599 barry manilow is another god. 600 zsa zsa gabor is a direct descendant of ludwig van beethoven. 601 oh. TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 601