
1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask....
2 *************************** INSTALLED: 11 NOV 85 **********************
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 the right 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 Prometheus: Don't give me facts, you'll spoil my emotion bound argument.
21 Besides, they ain't facts anyway, just the twisted mumbo-jumbo of scientists.
22 They use theory that they themselves promote to prove their facts with. 
23 You're just basing it all on a bunch of conjecture about things. I don't
24 care if it is base on thousands of years of self-proving back patting.
25 *****************************************************************************
26 Hee Hee! I like it! JF $$$$$$$$$$$$$
27 :-]Well, almost at the top...  Max[-:
28 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29 I blinked, rubbed my eyes, then looked again.  "Stan?"
30 "Yep.  Go ahead and sit down.  The Doctor and Milchar left early this morning,
31 told me to say goodbye for them.  Have some breakfast."
32 I sat, but skipped breakfast.  "Can you fill me in?  How did you get here?"
33 Stan smiled, amused.  He handed a small device to me.  It looked almost
34 exactly like the modified passkey that I had in my pocket, except this one had
35 my personal identicode on it.  "All yours, Bert.  Even registered with DS. 
36 They had one hell of a time classifying it, though.  That little grey IC is a
37 clever little gadget.  The Wendill Space Turbine, I call it."
38 My brain stopped, rewound, then played that last sentence back for further
39 study.  "You call it that?  Isn't naming the prerogative of the inventor? 
40 Or..." I stopped.  "Yours?"
41 Stan's smile widened to a large grin.  "Couldn't have done it without ya,
42 Bert.  After I got your note, I sulked for a few hours, then got mad and
43 decided to tackle the problem without a model.  I used a hell of a lot of the
44 DS research budget in computer time, too.  Finally figured out what made it
45 tick, then made a few of them."
46 "If you invented it, how...?"
47 "...Did the Doctor get it?  Just as he said.  From Gallifrey.  The first test
48 run we made landed the tester there.  We did some technology swapping.  Some
49 of this new stuff will blow your mind.  Anyway, they sent a couple to the
50 Doctor as he seems to be one of their favorite field testers.  He sold one to
51 you (at a bargain, I might add), and you know the rest."
52 I tried to absorb it all, failed, then decided it was too early in the morning
53 to try.  "Just how does it work, Stan?"
54 Stan finished off the last of his sausage, then spoke.  "Know how we keep a
55 traveldoor open?"
56 I shrugged.  "Sure.  That's part of training.  I may not be an engineer, but I
57 soak up some stuff.  Basically you get a computer to punch a series of little
58 holes in the space fabric, which are positioned in such a way as to let matter
59 leak through."
60 "Correct.  The Space Turbine is something like that, only it doesn't punch
61 through the fabric, but dents it.  Any way we want.  In this application, we
62 want to form a bubble of space completely cut off from your starting universe,
63 with passenger and Turbine inside.  In this state, shifts in- oh, never mind,
64 it'll take hours to go through the math.  What it amounts to is a space bubble
65 carrying you from universe to universe.  Neat solution, only problem being the
66 Turbine occupies about sixteen cubic meters."
67 I drew a blank.  "Hold it."  I held up my new passkey, and pointed to the
68 little IC.  "That ain't sixteen cubic meters, bub."
69 "That's the best part.  We found out that the interior of a bubble of space
70 could be any size we wanted, up to power limits.  The bubble could have holes
71 out into regular space, or not.  What we did was build two separate Turbines,
72 then made one encapsulate the other.  Lo and behold, sixteen cubic meters
73 becomes sixteen cubic millimeters.  Or whatever.  Once encapsulated, a Turbine
74 can maintain its own bubble."
75 I shook my foggy head, tried to imagine what this would mean to commerce.  And
76 me.  The Dimensional Supervisor's job would increase manyfold-
77 "Stan, do me a favor.  Don't make any more of these things.  Don't release
78 them outside of DS.  We've got enough trouble mucking around in our own
79 universe without messing up our neighbor's.  Not that this place minds
80 visitors.  I'm just imagining what would happen if smugglers found out about
81 this."
82 Stan considered.  "Hmmmm. Eric?"
83 I only now noticed that Eric was laying next to Stan.  "Ready."
84 "Your evalutation?"
85 "Computed probability of 83.47% that smugglers would find out about Wendill
86 Space Turbine within 14 days.  Probability increases to 96.11% after one
87 Terran lunar.  After discovery, the Turbine will permit smuggling of any item
88 with near zero chance of detection."
89 "Hmmmm again.  Gotta be something we can do.  It seems so USEFUL to be able to
90 travel to other universes-"
91 "Not to mention being able to fit a pleasure dome Kubla Khan would envy into a
92 closet."
93                                                                               
94 %%%%%% rebalsa %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 11/11/85
95 %%%%%% Attribute any garbage in the above to line noise during upload. %%% BR
96 whoowhee|||| What a way to welcome a newcomer to the board||||||
97 
98 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
99 
100      Leroy McKane?  I can say for a certainty he is absolutely honest....
101 (or at least as honest as I am).  As for that funny Frenchman, you know
102 how worked up the French get over sex.
103 
104      Hooray Frank!  Whoever you are this time.
105 
106                                                Mohammed Wassir
107                                            <The Albanian Boy Scout>
108 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
109 
110 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\18
111    Would that his waking had been as peacful as his sleep. There was a screech in his ear and suddenly he was being
112 unmercifully pummeled. Danger-trained reflexes had the body moving before the mind was even concious of what was
113 happening. He did a quick roll to gain a couple yards from whatever was attacking him and got to his feet instantly,
114 the sword held out before him, ready to start slicing.
115    The first thing his mind registered was that it was full daylight. The second thing was that the clearing was empty
116 except for him and Tariya, who was half standing and staring at him indignantly. Seeing nothing else around, he
117 lowered the blade and demanded, "What the f-"
118    "YOU!" she snapped, obviously mad about something. "What... what did you think you were doing?!"
119    "Sleeping!" he yelled back, confused and starting to get a little pissed himself.
120    "You were doing more than just sleeping! Who do you think you are, crawling over to me in the middle of the night
121 and taking advantage-"
122    Oh, for $%&'# sake! Now he knew. He released the sword and it vanished before it touched the ground. Keeping his
123 voice level so as to sound more rational (and less guilty. What had he done to feel guilty about, anyway?) than he
124 felt, he said, "I think you're flattering youself, sweetheart. I didn't go to you, you came to me."
125    "You're lying! I would never do something like that! I woke up and you had your arm around me and... and... Did you
126 try something!?" she felt to see if her clothes were all there.
127    James threw his hands up in exasperation, "I was too tired to try anything last night, and I seriously doubt you
128 were tired enough not to notice if I did." She glared at him, obviously not believing a word of it. He sighed and
129 said, "Go ahead and believe what you want. You will anyway. But I'll tell you this: getting shocked out of my sleep,
130 and then being called first a pervert, and then a liar, well, that's a hell of a way to start the day. I'm hurt that
131 you would even think that about me, after all we been through. If I was the type, I could have joined in with those
132 creeps back at the inn. I didn't even... oh crap!" he saw that she wasn't buying it so he gave up in disgust. He went
133 off into the bushes to relieve himself and when he got back he saw that her attitude hadn't changed much. Staying well
134 away from her, he walked over to the path.
135    "Where do you think you're going?" she wanted to know.
136    "Well," he said with more than a trace of sarcasm, "I'm hungry. Molesting sleeping women at midnight always leaves
137 me hungry. And since I don't see any Minit Marts about, I guess I'm going to have to go find something. You can come
138 along if you want, but as far as I'm concerned, we can just part company right here. I don't need this grief, and I
139 certainly don't need you." and without another word he turned and left the clearing.
140    "Wait!" she hollered, getting up and running after him. "Damn you, wait! You're not leaving me here!"
141 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
142 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
143 French toast: Yes, I have looked over the messages in question, both yours and 
144 mine, and from my view point, I still feel that you have been promoting a 
145 hysterical viewpoint of the AIDS problem. It is a dredful desease, yes, it is 
146 currently not currable yes, but it is not spreading in catastrophic 
147 proportions. Currently it is limited largly to the gay male population. With a 
148 few exceptions elsewhere. Currently the most important means to fight AIDS is 
149 education. Not conjecture, not trying to panic everyone into thinking that it 
150 is a runaway epidemic. (14,000 known cases is an epidemic?) The major problem 
151 currently is that within the male gay community because of the sexual practic 
152 it is reaching epidemic proportions. But, outside of the know transference 
153 methods, AIDS is not known to be easily tranferred. It appears to be damn 
154 difficult to transfer the desease. Yet because of the general hysteria that 
155 the media has generated, people are believing all sorts of horror stories. 
156 Like you can catch it just by being in the same room with someone who has 
157 AIDS. There is absolutely no proof of this, and in fact the information so far 
158 is that even direct contact with a person will not transfer AIDS. It appears 
159 that it MUST be transferred through the body fluids. Why is it that every time 
160 some new desease comes we go through this same hysteria "We're all gonna die! 
161 We're all gonna die!"? 
162 As a side note, I find it very disturbing that people who state that their 
163 basis for their religon is love and concern for their fellow man would use the 
164 problems of the gay male community as justification for upholding their 
165 prejudice for that group. With hypocrisy like that you wonder why I don't 
166 follow your beliefs in a sheep like fashion? 
167 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ fred ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
168 thanks,dave.
169 exit
170 
171 
172 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
173            
174 Phantom 429
175 by
176 John Silverman
177 (Part 3)
178         
179      I stayed with Jennifer that night. Nothing sexual, that would have seemed almost incestuous. We spent most of the
180 night talking about Roy. Finally she dozed off about three. I carried her to her room and grabbed a blanket and crashed
181 on her couch. Tired as I was, my sleep that night was uneasy at best.
182      I dreamed I was sitting at my radio, listening. The channel was empty, but buried deep in the background static I
183 heard... something. It was too faint and distant to make out but it left me with an uneasy feeling. In fact, as time
184 went by, it terrified me. I hoped and prayed that it would stay in the distance. But I knew it wouldn't. Something bad
185 was coming. What form it would take my mind couldn't or wouldn't tell me but it was coming all the same. Then I
186 realized that whatever I was hearing wasn't just on the radio. It was in the wind, blowing outside my window. Something
187 was coming and the most horrifying thing was that it wasn't coming for me...
188      I awoke in a cold sweat, Jen's face staring down concernedly at me. Early daylight streamed in through the window.
189 "Are you okay?" she asked. "Your groaning woke me up."
190      I sat up, trying to shake the cobwebs. My stomach felt like I'd swallowed a cannonball. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
191 Just a bad dream. I'm still upset too, you know."
192      "I know." she said, sitting on the couch next to me. "I dreamed that Roy had somehow managed to come back. For me.
193 Ididn't want to wake up."
194      Her subconcious had given her a cheap shot. I looked at my watch, still trying to wake up. "Oh, cripes. I'm late
195 for work. I hafta go." I fumbled for my jacket.
196      At the door I stopped, "You want me to come by later?"
197      "Please." she replied. "I don't want to impose but I really-"
198      "Say no more. You CAN'T impose on me. And I think we could both use the company. For a little while."
199      A litle while was more than it took me to get to work. The 205 bridge had been closed for repairs and the traffic
200 on I-5 was beyind belief. Well, Roy had always said he wanted everybody to know when he was gone. I arrived at work
201 still disheveled and three hours late. My ass was chewed out royally, of course.
202                     
203 (TO BE CONTINUED...)
204                     
205 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
206 (((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*)))((( Ripple )))
207 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
208   Speaking of cheap shots...
209 Religion:  The spiritual TRUTH as revealed in my culture's sacred traditions.
210 Superstition:  Those erronious practices to which you still adhere after
211 being shown the TRUTH.
212 Religious freedom:  My freedom to eliminate all vestiges of superstition,
213 especially those which conflict with the TRUTH.
214 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
215 MIKEY:  Here's a modest proposal---why not incorporate the phrase "WHOOPEE !!
216 I'M AT THE TOP AGAIN!!!" in the lower border of system instructions each time
217 you re-establish DA?  That will maybe satisfy the children's need to orient
218 themselves...and stretch the ca Even some 'regulars' seem to feel SO
219 SUCCESSFUL, but falsely so, just because they happened to call after your
220 attention to housekeeping.  
221 ===================WHOOPEE!  I'M AT THE TOP AGAIN!!! =========================
222 **************************************************************************
223 
Greetings:    If it makes any difference, I think being at the top of
224 
the disk is neat.  Not earth shattering, just neat.  Why not say 
225 
AT THE TOP?  Sort of put's the start of the disk in a up mood. Something
226 
it never hurts to have more of around her.  ok, that's my two cents.
227 
******************************kathyD******************************************
228 
229 When Bear had lunged underneath the dragon during its leap, he had done so wit
230 h an instantaneous decision in mind. He had noted the timing and direction of
231 the dragon's first leap, and also knew 
232 that the underside of the creature was softer, it's organs unprotected by hard
233 bone or skin.
234 
235 After the beast had landed on top of him, the crushing weight had nearly 
236 killed him. But there was enough cushion into the dragon's stomach that it
237 was more like a big pillow as opposedto a large rock. As it was, he could 
238 barely breath. But his face was just inches from the butt of his sword, which 
239 still protuded from the dragon's belly, dug into the ground.
240 
241 He pulled his arm from his side as best he could, the dragon's blood and lack
242 of air combined to make it so he could hardly breath. Finally, he was able to
243 grip the sword. As he did so, he
244 thrusted upwards with all the strength left within him. He pushed the sword
245 into the dragon's belly, his hand disappeared into the black-red muck.
246 
247 The awful stench of hot blood surrounded him, buried him. He was swimming in
248 a sea of putrid blood, fed by the evil devouring of hundreds of men.
249 
250 Still he thrusted upwards, and he felt the dragon shudder. His entire arm was
251 now inside the dragon, the blood poured out like a waterfall. He held his
252 breath and tore his blade to the side, making the gaping hole even wider.
253 
254 He was now able to get on his knees, and still he thrusted up, and over, and
255 up again. He started cutting in a frenzy. His entire body was drenched in 
256 blood as the dragon's innards fell around him. Still he could not breathe, but
257 still he cut, slicing higher and higher, smashing through bone, and then skin.
258 
259 The dragon lay still, its last breath gone. A large pool of bllood grew under-
260 neath it and sppread out over the entire floor of the cavern. Suddenly, in its
261 scaly back protruded a sharp point.
262 The point grew, and came upward.
263 
264 The sword pierced the skin and then sliced downward. With a final outpouring
265 of hot black guts the dragon's side was rent with a loud tearing sound. And
266 the Bear emerged, completely black-red, steam rising from his body. Only his
267 two bright eyes shown from the awful stuff covering him. But he stood, sword 
268 held high in triumph.
269 
270 In the other hand, he held a round white object, about the size of a large
271 rock.
272 
273 The egg from the dragon of Fendarr.
274 
275 0000000000000000 THE BEAR 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
276 
277 This is a test, this is only a test.  It is a test designed to test the fie
hf
278 not a test for use in
279 iding 40-column text, or
280 
indeed for 22 co-
281 ext.  But for 80-column text, nothing more, nothing less.  Thank You.
282                              This was only a test.
283 
(needs some work!)
284 ............................................................................
285 
286 her one of those tests.  Terrible, I know, but when I
287 
288 et one ready to work, everything will be pretty well wrapped up
289 s far as communications goes.  Blah, blah, blah-blah!
290 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
291 Andy:  You have asked me to prove evolution.  No, make that *prove* evolution.
292 Hmmmmm.....if someone could lend me their Tardis, I'd be happy to give
293 it a shot.  
294 But first, let's talk about fairness.  It's only fair that you then be
295 asked to prove, make that *prove*, creationism.  Fair, right?  But, 
296 there's no way you can.  Perhaps you could have someone send me a small
297 but well placed lightning bolt with a note attached saying: "He's 
298 right, PEN NAME, he's right", then maybe I'd believe you.
299 But as for the bible's truths, are we then to assume that perhaps
300 sometime in the future (is there is one to speak of) someone will run
301 accross some hard copies or diskettes full of various stories about
302 the INN, collect them, bind them, and then sojourn through the world
303 saying something like: "Behold!  God, our cyber in the sky, has sent
304 down His lessons on life in a book, and a good one at that, through
305 his messengers here on Earth!!!" and then start a religion called:
306 "The Church of BWMS"???  And claim tax-exemptions and the like???
307 The bible: A collective anthology of fables of obvious worth with
308 a gimmick to secure them.
309 And evolution.  I think that perhaps, Andy, you should spend as much
310 time reading up on Biology as you do your bible.
311 
312 I'm about to disclose a very valuble secret, one that has been hidden
313 for most of time, and yet a very important one at that.  Here goes:
314 
315                    -->Religions have only one purpose: provide hope<--
316 
317 When a close relative dies, no-one wants to think they are dead, and th
318        's that.  No, we want to think that they have gone to a ~higher~ place,
319 a ~holy~ place.  Not just planted in the ground and marked by marble.
320 And since we humans, most of us, are not able to find enough of that
321 hope we need within ourselves, we have to turn to outside sources.
322 First, we turn to families.  Then to friends.  The to hobbies.  And
323 then, when all is exhausted, to religion.
324 Some of us skip all the before and go right to religions. 
325 And when we can generate this hope ourselves, especially that day-to-
326        day hope we all need, we no longer have a need for relligion.
327 Religions provide other services; social, economical, etc., but they
328 only provide one of climactic degree: Hope eternal.  And for very
329 little cost to the reciever.  "Believe this, and you are applicable"
330 And so they do, over and over again.
331 
332 One final word.  As far as this didcussion goes, one thing should be
333 placed out in the open: No one is trying to change your views, you
334 have to do that alone.
335 I am reminded of one of my favorite peoms, by Stephen Crane:
336                         "Think as I Think"
337                     
338        "Think as I think," said a man,
339 "or you are abominably wicked;
340        You are a toad."
341 After I had thought of it, 
342 I said,"I will, then, be a toad."
343 
344 	                                  Yours with warts, PEN NAME
345 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
346 	No, you could not have gone back and re-read those messages and come to the same conclusion. Something must be
347 wrong fred, but I find it useless to quibble with you, and I will do no more. Do not confuse me with others who state
348 AIDS is a form of the wrath of God. I *NEVER* said that. Perhaps someone near my signiture did and you confuse the two.
349 I say one thing and one thing only. Ignoring a problem will not make it go away. If you sirrah, find that this is the cry
350 of a hysterical man, then indeed I must be so, no other truth is possible.
351 
352 	Well said PEN NAME. A quote from Crane is a most timely thing now. Next we need Dickens and Twain. For now, St.
353 Augustine, THE CITY OF GOD, 21.16.
354 	The story of most people, however, is this, that, after they have
355 become conscious of responsibility to law, they are first overcome by
356 passion and become violaters of the law, then they have recourse to grace
357 which helps them to grieve bitterly for the past and to struggle bravely
358 against passion until, at last, with their will in subjection to God and
359 their reason in control of the flesh, they conquer themselves.
360 
361 Temperance in all things...
362 								French Toast
363 ______________________________________________________________________________
364 Desole'
365 
366 EXCUSE ME...Does anyone here speak English?
367 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
368 
369      A steady, sullen drizzle blanketed Santa Cruz, the cocaine capital of
370 Bolivia.  In the center of the city, the Plaza de Alfonso was a collage of
371 muted greys and browns.  The afternoon siesta was at hand, and the streets
372 were empty save for two armed militia guarding the entrance of the secret
373 police headquarters.  The headquarters was a massive stone building on the
374 south side of the plaza.  Centuries ago, the building had been the residence
375 of the Spanish governor, now it housed an overlord of a different sort...
376 perhaps just as corrupt.
377      On the east side of the plaza, a man squatted beneath the awning of a
378 fishmonger's stall, almost invisible in the shadows.  Dressed in a faded
379 blue work shirt and tattered dungaries, the man's face was hidden by a
380 floppy straw hat.  Intense brown eyes could be seen peering under the brim
381 of the hat, their attention focused on a tan Mercedes sedan parked in front
382 of the headquarter's building.  The man was an Albanian known as Mohammed
383 Wassir.
384      As Wassir waited, a young woman clad in tight black satin pants and a
385 low-cut blouse approached the stall.  She glanced nervously at the militia-
386 men across the square.  Seeing they paid her no heed, she ducked into the
387 shadows and seated herself next to Wassir.
388      "Mohammed," she said.  "Why did you have me meet you here?  This is
389 a dangerous place for you with the bounty on your head."
390      "Colonel Perez and I have some unfinshed business which must be
391 taken care of this afternoon."  Wassir said.
392      "Important enough to get yourself killed?  The Colonel will shoot you
393 on sight."
394      "Ah, Maria, you worry too much.  Any news?"
395      "Leroy McKane has been sighted in Zaire.  Rumor has it that he is 
396 raising capital for another of his schemes to rule the world."  Maria smiled
397 "It's ridiculous, how can one man rule all of humanity?"
398      "Don't sell McKane short.  He is capable of more than most give him
399 credit for.  If not for his hunger for small, fuzzy animals, his dreams of
400 world conquest may have succeeded last time,"  Wassir said.
401      "You'll oppose him, of course?"
402      "I haven't decided yet.  There is the matter of my toilet plunger
403 factory that mysteriously burned down.  I hated to see that enterprise
404 flushed down the toilet, and I'm sure Leroy was involved."  Mohammed scowled
405 "Who's to say the sightings in Zaire are accurate?  An imposter perhaps, or
406 McKane may just be toying with us all....with no intention of making a
407 comeback."
408      "I will have to meet this Leroy McKane,"  Maria said.  "He sounds like
409 a most interesting person."
410      "Yes, he is.....Wait."  Mohammed placed his hand on Maria's arm.  
411 Across the plaza, four militiamen walked from the entrance.  In their midst
412 was a stout, dour man in a full-dress uniform draped with gold braid.  
413 Wassir smiled wolfishly, "The Colonel is on time.... a most punctual man."
414      The Colonel and his bodyguards climbed into the Mercedes.  The car 
415 swung into the cobbled street, turned left and neared the fishmonger's stall
416 Wassir pulled an oversized garage door opener from a small knapsack at his
417 feet.  "But sometimes, punctuality can be a man's downfall," he said.
418      As the car passed the stall, Wassir pushed the button on the opener.
419 An orange fireball engulfed the Mercedes.  The blast signaled the end of
420 the afternoon siesta.  Armed militia poured from the headquarter's building
421 and flooded into the plaza.  The Mercedes was a twisted sculpture of 
422 blackened steel.  The fishmonger's stall was empty.  Mohammed Wassir was 
423 gone.
424 
425 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Valinor *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
426 
427 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@$#^@)#_@#*)@#&(^#*%@&#@%$#Scu'z this
428 
429 


430                   In the flickering light coming from the five or so tallow candls

 
431                       under the fragile tables of rough wood, burned and scarred,ad


432                       looked around the cages and crates, full of dead, dying, an
433                   undead animals and others scattered about here and there.  He
434                     could spend all day looking, what with the varieties of dusty

  
435 

436                  life with dancing shadows.
437                              And he found it, what he was looking for.  A human sul
438                        brightly polished and grinning forever.  It had had the adct
439                        to roll off a high shelf as he was busy working.
440 
441                             "Heads will roll!" he murmured to the moonlight, and ake
442                    as he does so well.  Usually he would not have given it a secod

 
443                       could go wrong.  Tonight he could not be interrupted.
444 
445                               The old man shuffled over to his lit desk.  A ston ol
446                        shallow and dark, rested on a bed of straw there.  Though h
447                      bowl was shallow, the bottom could never be seen.  He reache
448                       high onto a top shelf that hung precariously on the wall abv
449                      his desk.  There, he removed a small vial corked with cloth ht


450                                Removing the stopper, he poured the contents of th il

451                   into the stone bowl in front of him.  Steam or smoke rose from
452 

453           ^Z
454 _____________________________JD 2446382.8131_______________________________
455 :::::=====:::::=====
456      And I waited.  A small rabbit in a large world.  And I look to the 
457 elven mystic, still sensing the other presence that I cannot see, and 
458 question him about it.
459 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====
460          Hey now, this is THE test.  The FINAL test, because me'thinks to
461 Ah, Wassir, my old friend-up to your old tricks again I see. We have something
462 to talk about, you and I. And the two men who hang around a Pizza Parlor in Northern
463 California. What say?
464 Delta V
465 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
466 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
467   Ahh, the joy of seeing a smiling Albainian face in the mind's eye...
468 Welcome back, Wassir!
469                                   pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
470 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
471 
472     Piper:  Thanks for the welcome on my return.  Actually, I've been 
473 lurking in the shadows all along, waiting for the right mood.  But it's
474 nice to have one with your talent offer a friendly word.
475 
476     Delta 5:  I'm always willing to talk.... you've hooked my curiosity.
477 What about the pizza parlor in Northern California?
478 
479                                        Mohammed Wassir
480                                    <The Friendly Albanian>
481 
482 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
483 
484 Ah, how soon we forget. Remember the last time we wre to meet? It was 
485 at a sleazy little bar in Bizerte, but you didn't show, leaving me to 
486 fight off a horde of androgynous creatures intent on rounding out my
487 sexual experiences. That was right after the unfortunate 'accident' 
488 in which your yacht was lost, remember? Well, I've been 'retired' for a
489 year or so, and long to be in 'the field' again. How is your good friend
490 McKane these days?
491 Go back, Wassir, and remember. A small town in Northern California. A 
492 place where McKane once had an uh "installation".
493 Wassir, remember: The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises
494 to keep, and miles to go before I sleep---Wassir, remember.           A V
495 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]tiredoftapping]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
496 PenName: After reading your arguments amidst all the friendly letters and
497 stories it occurs to me, too, that the subject is tedious at best on a pub-
498 lic board such as this.
499 
500 Obviously, there is neither time nor room for you to convince me of u
501 unassisted evolution.
502 No, I know the mutations and time and gasses forming and tests which have
503 produced the beginning amino acids of life forms and so on. But it just 
504 could never happen. And I notice that rather than try and argue the point,
505 you simply take your jabs at religion instead, as if making a harsh state-
506 ment against religions in general actually proves they cannot be true.
507 
508 Actually I just feel sorry for you. In your bitterness and "wisdom" you are
509 living in a very lonely place indeed. You have closed your mind completely,
510 and would only strike out at any arguments presented about the presence of
511 God rather than actually hear them and ponder their meaning.
512 
513 You will know soon enough, my friend, and again, I feel sorry for you. I
514 don't feel it's my place to be your "converter," but God has said he giv es
515 everyone a chance at least once. But your eyes have to be open to step
516 forward. Even God can't talk to closed ears.
517 
518 Anyway, let's let others proceed with their discources of less bitter spoken
519 words. There is a right or a wrong. In a shorter time than you may think,
520 the answer will be regrettably clear. At that time... remember that I tried,
521 would have liked to have tried further, and feel compassion for your
522 unfortunate decision.
523 
524 Best regards,
525 Andy
526 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
527  I NOTICE THAT WITH 'ALL ALLOWED' IT SEEMS THE LINES ARE BUSIER LONGER WITH
528 PEOPLE PERFECTING THEIR ENTRIES. PERHAPS 'ENTER ONLY' HAS MORE BENEFITS THAN
529 ORIGINALLY THOUGHT?????
530 ???????????????????????????????????????????????
531 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\perhaps so\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
532 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
533 Andy:  Nay, nay, you need not feel sorry for me.  Instead of closing
534 my mind, I have opened it to other possibilities, and found them to
535 be more to what I consider the truth.
536 We spend much of our lives seeking the truth, I'm glad to have found it.
537 I grew up under two of the most (out of all the) lousy religions around.
538 Catholic and Mormon.
539 There is nothing you can tell me about either.
540 As far as proving my (or at least what you consider to be my) point about
541 evolution, you would have me banter in Biology and not attack religion?
542 I would do so, if you could show me two things: 1) That you know even a
543 shread about the level of Biology needed to comprehend what I say,  
544 2) That there would be any point to my "proving" it, since you would
545 refute even the most *obvious* of facts.
546 No, no point to it all, you are brainwashed into one wagon track of 
547 thought, and that, is sad.
548 But, in any case, don't expect me to go sulking away, just because
549 you seem to have put yourself in a "there is nothing you can teach me
550 about" attitude, no indeed, you need not worry about "saving" me, for 
551 I'm saved already, secure in my belief.
552                                          Solidly yours,  PEN NAME
553 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
554 The Lord said unto Noah,"Where is the ark which I have commanded thee to
555 build?"
556 And Noah said unto the Lord,"Verily, I have had three carpenters off ill. 
557 The gopherwood supplier hath let me down--yea, even though the wood hath
558 been on order for nigh unto twelve months.  What can I do, O Lord?"  And
559 God said unto Noah,"I want that ark finished even after seven days and 
560 seven nights."  And Noah said,"It will be so."
561 And it was not so.  And the Lord said unto Noah,"What seemeth to be the
562 trouble this time?"  And Noah said unto the Lord,"Mine sub-contractors hath
563 gone bankrupt.  The pitch which Thou commandedst me to to put on the outside
564 of the ark hath not arrived.  The plumber hath gone on strike.  Shem, mine
565 own son who helpest me, hath formed a heavy metal group with his brothers
566 Ham and Japheth.  Lord, I am undone.  Bring on the rains."
567 And the Lord grew angry and said,"And what of the animals, the male and
568 female of every sort, I ordered to come unto thee to keep their seed alive
569 upon the face of the Earth?"  And Noah said,"They have been delivered unto
570 the wrong address but should arrive Friday."  And the Lord said,"How about
571 the unicorns and the fowls of the air by sevens?"
572 And Noah wrung his hands and wept, saying,"Lord, unicorns are a discontinued
573 line; Thou canst not get them for love nor money.  And the fowls of the air
574 are sold only in half-dozen lots.  Lord, thou knowest how it is."
575 And the Lord in his wisdom spake:"Noah, My son, what about insurance in case
576 thous should run this ark aground atop Mt. Ararat?"
577 And Noah was downcast, saying,"My independent insurance agent telleth me
578 there doth exist a market crunch.  Companies liketh not writing insurance 
579 for an ark---they fear it will be misused for water skiing.  They doubt my
580 wisdom as Captain.  Only one company hath said they would insure my vessel, 
581 and they would charge 70 times seven pieces of silver with a 250-pound
582 sacrificial lamb deductible.  Verily, the tribute is higher than Heaven, and
583 yet we cannot get delivery of the policy for three months, as the company
584 hath changed to an abacus and the beads are stuck fast!"
585 Having spoken thus, Noah wept, and the Lord went forth and did likewise.
586 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
587 
588 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
589  HEY, WHOEVER WROTE THE STORY ON THE TOP OFF THE DISK WHERE THERE WERE
590 FAR AWAY NOISES ON THE RADIO, HAVE YOU   EVER READ "THE STAND" BY 
591 STEPHEN KING? JUST WONDERING......
592     ALL RELIGION DEBATERS:
593  LETS DROP IT WHILE WE ARE HAVING A PSEUDO-CEASE-FIRE, AS NO ONE IS 
594 GOING TO CONVINCE ANYONE ELSE OF ANYTHING, AND THIS SPACE COULD BE 
595 USED SOO MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVELY......
596                    JCP1                  :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
597 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
598 
599 
600 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
601 SO TRUE, FRENCH TOAST, THAT THERE IS NO TRUTH OR DEFINITIVE REALITY,
602 SO SAD IT IS TO SEE ONLY IN BLACK AND WHITE AND TO MISS THE COLORS.........
603                   JCP1
604 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
605 >>>  It's all in the track of humanity.  Science, the footstep that
606 follows religion, is one more way to guide perception.  What next?
607 <<<  I can find no name.  Sorry.  You try.
608 ______________________________JD 2446383.7750______________________________
609 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
610 HOW FOOLISH WE ARE TO THINK THAT WE CAN EVEN COMPREHEND REALITY....OUR
611 REALITY IS WHATEVER OUR SENSORY INPUT SENSES CHOOSE TO MAKE US AWARE
612 OF, WHICH IS REALLY SO LITTLE. WE ARE "CONCIOUS" OF SO VERY LITTLE OF 
613 OUR OWN MIND AND BODY, THINK OF IT, TRILLIONS OF CELLS AND NERVES AND 
614 ASSORTED BODY MATTER WORKING IN HARMONY,AND WE FEEL ONLY PLEASURE OR 
615 PAIN FROM THEM, ELSE NOTHING... HOW FOOLISH WE ARE TO THINK THAT WE CAN
616 UNDERSTAND OURSELVES, MUCH LESS THE WONDERS OF OUR UNIVERSE. WE CAN ONLY
617 DETECT LIGHT ON THE SCALE OF 0.00038 -
618 0.00081 CM, AND YET THE ENTIRE WAVELENGHT IS INFINITELY LONG...CONTRAST
619 OUR VASTLY LIMITED SIGHT WITH THE REST OF OUR SENSES, AND YOU HARDLY 
620 COME UP WITH A CREATURE THAT COULD EVEN HOPE TO COMPREHEND SPACE OR TIME
621 OR THE UNIVERSE...WE CANNOT EVEN DEFINE TIME OR SPACE OR MATTER, AND 
622 YET WE SEEK TO EXPLAIN THEM AND ARE SMUG IN OUR EXPLANATIONS.....PUT THAT
623 IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT............
624     I SHALL PREVAIL......
625    I SIGN MYSELF:         JCP1
626 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
627 J.C.Penney 1  ?
628 **************************************************************
629 Made it to the BottomNatasha

TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629 
