There Must Be A Mistake Ch 26

Note: All persons in this novel are fictitious. If you are looking for a great deal of explicit sexual activity, this story is not for you. Those scenes that are included will be evocative rather than just for the sake of sex itself. This story is for your reading pleasure. Its length is undetermined at this time, because I do not know where my mind will take me along the way. I hope you will stay with me during this journey until it reaches its inevitable conclusion.

Chapter 26

124. Where Do We Go From Here

Jennifer and I waved goodbye to Zoie and Gordon as they boarded the tiny Learjet, and headed for Monty's ranch near Glasgow, Montana. When we returned to the SUV, it did not to head towards the highway leading us back to home. It headed east.

"Where are we going Even?"

"Jen, when was the last time we were alone?"

"It was on our wedding day, between two and three o'clock, when we were waiting for my wedding dress to be fixed."

"You have an excellent memory. It's Saturday, and we are not going home until Monday."

"I like the idea, but what about our kids?"

"Delicious is taking care of our children."

"She will need her psychiatrist for the rest of the week."

"No she won't. I have given Gray off this week also. He will be able to help her with the four of them."

"You should've had Rosalyn come over too."

"She will be there."

"Do you always think of everything?"

"I try to, but sometimes I forget about my wife. I'm going to try to remedy that this week."

"You know it doesn't matter to me. As soon as you walk in the door, and I see your face, that's all I ever need."

"Well this week, I'm going to try to get you tired of looking at this ugly face."

"It's not ugly. It's unusual, and it's mine."

"We are here, no more talk about work, or the kids, from now on it's just about us."

"I take it you got us a suite of rooms?"

"I did not; I rented the entire top floor. We needed rooms for our agents to sleep in. They were going to be no use to us if they were seven floors down."

"I'm sure you argued with you."

"Yes they did, and vehemently if I might say so. They could not decide who got what view. I settled the argument for them. I told them every night they should change rooms so they could look at the girls in their skimpy bikinis by the pool."

"You are so thoughtful Even, but we are only going to be here for two days."

"Two days, who taught you how to count?"

"You said were going home on Monday."

"Yes I did, but did I happen to mention which Monday?"

"Even Luck, you took an entire week off from work?"

"I gave everybody else the week off. Why shouldn't I take a week off?"

"You haven't taken a week off from work since I've known you."

"Oh yes I have, I've taken several months off from work."

"That doesn't count, you were sick. You were deathly sick. I almost lost you."

"No, it wasn't even close."

"We are going to be 21 floors up. Would you like to see if you bounce?"

"No dear, I've done the physics on that, and I definitely will not bounce."

"Remember you said no talking about work, and you have eight more days of no working. I'll bet you $100 you can't do it."

"Let me give you the money now, because I know I will lose. However, tomorrow you are going shopping. Delicious and Rosalyn are going shopping with you."

"They're coming here to shop?"

"It's only an hour's drive here, and I thought you would enjoy the company."

"Are you coming with us?"

"Are you putting me in the trunk?"

"Even that wasn't funny."

"How about this, I wouldn't go shopping with the three of you if all they were selling was computers. The three of you would ruin my experience and love for anything technical."

"Even do you know that thing between your legs?"

"Yes, I am very intimately knowledgeable of it."

"Tonight rather than a horse's head being found in your bed, you may find that monster instead."

"Mrs. Luck, I went for more than 30 years without using that particular portion of my body, and it made me exceedingly wealthy. The only person I have ever used it on is you. Who do you think would miss it more?"

"You are a real bastard, and you know it."

"Do you want to get in a quickie in, before you cut your best friend off?"

"Are you going to feed me first?"

"If that's what you want, there is a Wendy's down the block."

"You prick." Jennifer attacked me with every bit of strength she had in her, but somehow she found herself on the bed looking up.

"Hello, fancy meeting you here. Are you hungry, or do you want to make love?"

"I seem to be in bed. So while I get undressed, why don't you call room service, and order us a nice meal in about two hours."

"I think I can arrange that, would you like your prawns again?"

"I got sick the last time I had prawns."

"I know, and I kept warning you about that if you remember. I just wanted to see if you were going to waste this weekend also?"

"Why do you always have to be right?"

"I don't like being right all the time. I just hate being wrong any time."

"If you don't order dinner, and get into bed, I'm going to strangle your balls until they fall off."

"That sounds painful. I think I will order dinner. Would you like a hamburger, or prime rib?"

"Even if there is a hamburger on my plate, there is going to be a knife between your ribs."

"Well put my dear, two prime ribs, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, two baked potatoes, and a half pound of butter. For dessert, we would like two cans of whipped cream, and two slices of dark chocolate cake."

"What are we going to do with the cake?"

"I ordered it just to make it look good for the whipped cream."

"You chicken, the maids are going to have to clean it up in the morning anyhow."

"Not from where I'm going to be putting your whipped cream dear. I'll take care of that myself."

"We will see about that, won't we?"

"Is that a challenge Mrs. Luck?"

"You Bet Your Ass It Is Doctor Luck."

"I love a challenge."

***********

125. Children At Play

"Mom, we need two big boxes, crayons, tape, a stapler, markers, children's glue, a compass, a protractor, a ruler, a tape measure, string, stiff foam, 60 pencils, four pens, a hole punch, and construction paper."

"That's an impressive list you have there Newton. Is there anything else you need, like my left lung?"

"I'm sure I left something out mom, but we will ask you for that later. However, the most important thing is that no parents are allowed into the playroom, until we are finished."

"I'm supposed to allow three young boys, and a one-year-old baby girl to play in a closed room, without parental supervision, all day? Is that what you're telling me?"

"No mom, we need you to stay out of the room for the next three or four days."

"Are you crazy?"

"No that would be grandpa."

"You are not allowed to say that about my father ever again."

"Why not, you do it all the time."

"That's different, I'm his daughter."

"Can we have what I asked you for please?"

"Can I ask you what you're making please?"

"We are making Holden's spaceship."

"Okay, how big a box do you need?"

"Do you have two boxes about 48 inches or larger?"

"Yes, I have moving boxes that big. Will they do?"

"Yes, they will, but we are going to need a favor."

"What do you need?"

"Can you cut each of them into equal sized circles?"

"Grayson get in here."

"You bellowed my dear?"

"Don't you start with me Gray; it can only get worse for you. Go to the basement and get two of the largest boxes we have, bring them up here, and cut them into four of the largest equal size circles possible."

"Are we building a go-kart?"

"No, the kids are going to be making Holden's spacecraft."

"Who told you about his spacecraft?"

"I was just informed about it by Newton. Why, was it a big dark secret?"

"I'll tell you about it after I cut the circles."

*********

The cardboard boxes were so thick it took Gray nearly 30 minutes, using a sharp box cutter, to cut 50-inch circles. Two at a time, he brought them into the playroom. He placed them against the wall, where Newton had a place for them. He placed the other two on the other side of the room.

"Okay Teddy I'll tell him, but you have to speak out loud."

"Dad don't get rid of the excess cardboard, we are going to need it later."

Gray knelt in front of his tiny terror, and said, "Tell me."

She shook her head, "No."

"Tell me.

"No, too hard."

"Try it, or no dessert."

"Not fair daddy."

"Try it."

Teddy pointed to the circles and said, "Board, need later."

Gray picked her up, and tickled her. "Wonderful little girl, absolutely wonderful. Two times dessert, because you are so wonderful. Two times dessert for everyone."

Teddy frowned. "They do no, only I do."

"Do you want to share your second dessert with your brother, and cousins?"

"No, two times for all."

"Pizza for dinner?"

"No, want roni's."

"Roni's or messy ghetti?"

Teddy smiled. "Messy ghetti."

"I thought so. Mommy's not going to be happy with me, but for a smart little girl like you, we are going to have messy ghetti, and double vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup."

Delicious said, "Guess who's cleaning up after dinner?"

Gray walked over and held his wife. "You don't know how well our little terror did. She said some very hard words. So I am treating all of them to a wonderful dinner, isn't that right Teddy?"

"Messy getti, two banilla ice cream, chocolate syrup."

"Very good my little treasure, keep talking out loud, and soon you'll be talking in perfect sentences."

"What a ntence?"

"Don't worry about it little girl. We will get into that later; right after physics, and linear mathematics."

Gray coughed. "Baby if it were anyone else but you, I would say you are kidding, but you're not, and you have me worried."

"Not worry daddy; square root 5=2.236"

Delicious grabbed Teddy as Gray fell to the floor. She was laughing like crazy waiting for him to regain his senses.

"Please tell me she didn't say that. I couldn't take it if she did."

"Newton would you tell your grandmother I would like to keep my husband around for another 60 or 80 years. If she causes him a heart attack, I will find her and when I do it will not be pretty."

"Mom, grandma is laughing so hard she won't hear me."

"Wait until she stops laughing, and tell her what I said please."

"Gray come with me, I think you need a drink. Would you like sparkling water or plain?"

"I think I'll go with the hard stuff today. Sparkling water sounds good. I am going to find your mother one day, and tell her that was not funny. I could have had a stroke when Teddy said that to me. I'm glad you caught her, because I went out like a light."

"Yes I noticed. It happens the same way after we make love."

"Now that deserves a spanking, because you know that's a lie. We cuddled after we make love."

"Would you like to tell the children everything else we do? They are listening to you with rapt attention."

"Put Teddy down, did you give the kids everything they asked for?"

"Yes I did, except the 60 pencils, which we don't have. However, I gave them everything else, because I am a loving and caring mother, unlike their father, who sits in the living room reading his science magazines, instead of tending to them."

"I can see this is going to be a fun week."

"Did I tell you I am going shopping with Roz and mom tomorrow?"

"No you didn't. I hope you have a wonderful time. The kids will not be a problem for me."

"Just make sure the house is still here when I come home."

"Oh ye of little faith, everything will be fine."

Richard asked, "Are you two finished yet Uncle Gray? We'd like to our project, and we can't do it with you two hanging around."

"We apologize for bothering you, and we will not disturb you until lunch."

"Would you delay lunch until 2 o'clock please? You have delayed the start of our project by more than an hour and a half, and we have to make up for that time."

"I didn't realize time was so pressing on your project. Lunch will be served at 2 PM. We are leaving now, have fun."

"This is not fun, this is a Science Project."

"Delicious let's get out of here before we get into trouble."

"What do you mean get into trouble. We are already in trouble."

*******************

This was Holden's dream, and he was the team leader. Newton had the most experience, because he was working with his mother and father at the laboratory. Richard was now working at the laboratory, under my guidance, as well as Gordon, and several top scientists to see where his passion truly lies. One-year-old Teddy was an advisor to the group, because at times pearls of wisdom popped out of her head that no one else thought of, or deemed possible. The three boys had already brainstormed this project over the past six weeks, and had no trouble beginning the design of the engineering section. The design was not going to be anything like 'The Best Luck'. It was going to be a hybrid design, between a 'Flying Saucer', and the 'Starship Enterprise.' This design was necessary, because it had to be built on the surface of the planet Earth, and not in 'Near Space', with its zero gravity. One day it might be possible to build a spacecraft in close Earth orbit, but that was not going to happen in the foreseeable future, by this group, or any country on the planet.

Holden's ship was going to be massive by anyone's sense of scale. It was going to be 1000 feet in diameter, and a minimum of five levels. Level One was ENGINEERING. The power plants, and mechanical areas and all the inner workings of the ship would be located here. The six nuclear engines, each four times the size used on The Best Luck, would be located, and controlled from here, along with every other mechanical item on the ship. These engines, instead of being rolled out of the back of the ship, would be lowered out of the bottom of the spacecraft in pairs, depending on how much speed, or energy was required.

The inside circumference would hold the magnetic engines, used just as Delicious designed them. However, the spacecraft would be larger, and therefore, they would be larger, and there would be more of them to compensate for the immense size, and weight of this massive spacecraft.

Alongside the port, and starboard quarters, the Ion H2 engines would be used more for maneuvering ability than for power. Area was left for new inventions that would help move this machine past Warp 8 and into the realm of Warp 12 or above. It was believed the Ion engines would be replaced by something newer and better before liftoff of this giant machine.

There would be eight elevator shafts located at strategic weight-bearing points one quarter the way in from the edge of the spacecraft. Four more would be located at strategic weight-bearing points halfway in from the edge. The Central Core and main elevator shaft would have 12 elevators, and would be at the main weight bearing point for the entire spacecraft.

Using every implement at their hands, the three boys used the huge circle first, indicating the exterior of the ship. Then they measured in 12 inches from the edge, and using string and a compass, made the next circles indicating the elevator/weight bearing points of the spacecraft. Using a protractor, they made the next four elevator shafts at the halfway point between the edge and the center of the Central Core. Finally, they used a compass to draw a circle three times as large as the others to indicate the Central Core itself.

Each boy used yellow tags to show what the circle was to be used for, how many elevators it would contain, and how many emergency stairwells would be available if it broke down while in use. It was science, followed by math, followed by art. It was a thing of beauty.

With that completed, they laid out the magnetic engines, ceiling to floor, 360 degrees of the engineering deck. The six nuclear fission engines were marked, and colored in their predetermined spaces. Finally, the 12 Ion/H2 engine were marked, and colored along the port and starboard quarters of the spacecraft.

They were still working diligently, when Delicious knocked on the playroom door.

"It is 2 o'clock. Boys, girl, lunch is served in the kitchen."

The boys ran to the door, leaving Teddy asleep on the floor. Delicious walked in, and picked her up. She couldn't help looking down at what the boys had accomplished in the past few hours.

She laid Teddy down in her crib, and walked circuitously towards the kitchen. As she passed Gray, she kicked his ankle.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"You have to go to the bathroom Gray."

"No I don't."

She kicked him again. "You have to go to the bathroom Gray."

"No I don't."

Delicious hissed. "If you don't want me to break your fucking ankle, go to the bathroom, and see what the boys made."

"Oh, I have to go to the bathroom."

"Do you see how smart you're getting?"

She walked into the kitchen, where the boys were munching on their sandwiches, and asked, "Do any of you boys want yogurt with your lunch?"

Richard asked, "Do you have blueberry?"

"I have blueberry, peach, strawberry, and banana."

After the boys made their decisions, they finished their sandwiches, and milk, and began eating their yogurt.

Delicious asked, "What would you like for dessert? We have grapes, bananas, peaches, and oranges.

"It was no contest, they all wanted oranges."

While she was peeling and cutting the oranges into wedges, she said, "I'm going to have to go out soon, have you thought of anything else you need besides the pencils?"

"Velcro if you can find it mom."

"Do you want the one inch strips or wider?"

"The one inch strips will be fine mom. Will you cut it for us if we need them smaller?"

"Let me see, I have a choice of cutting them myself safely, or having you cut them, and wind up missing three fingers. I think I'll cut them myself."

"You're wrong mom, after two fingers, I would give the scissors to Richard, and let you take me to the hospital."

"Why did you have to have my mother's sense of humor?"

"If you give me a moment I'll ask her."

"Don't you dare, I don't want to hear her answer."

After a moment, Newton started laughing to the point he almost couldn't stop. He looked at his mother, and put a slice of orange into his mouth.

Delicious looked at him, and finally broke down. "Okay, what did she have to say?"

"I'm sorry mom, grandma told me not to tell you."

"Newton, if you ever want to see the light of day again, tell me what my mother said to you."

"Mom, you said you didn't want to know what grandma said. Grandma told me not to tell you what she said. If I tell you, I wind up in trouble either way. What would you do if you were in my position?"

Gray said, "If I were you son, I would listen to the person that is alive and could punish you. Explain to grandma that you were forced to tell your mother what she said, under the pains of punishment. She will forgive you."

"Very good Gray, it's the first time you've ever said something that we agree upon. Newton, tell me what grandma said

now

."

"Grandma said our last discussion was not her sense of humor, it was grandpa's, because it was logical, and when you get angry, the logical side of your brain shuts down."

"It does not."

After he grabbed both of Delicious arms, and kissed her neck, Gray said, "How can you possibly say that and mean it. The first thing you do when you get angry, or disagree with someone is start to yell. Logic goes out the window, and it's displaced by your ego."

"If you do not let go of my arms Gray, I am going to kick you."

He kissed her neck again, and nibbled on her ear. "Do you see what you just did baby? One moment you're happy with me, because I was on your side. The next moment, you threatened to kick me because I'm holding your arms. Why couldn't you just ask me to let go of your arms."