“All the different people from diverse places having a common belief in the country?”
“Is that a question?”
“I'm not sure.”
“Fair enough. Good answer. Remember, we're talking now about a change that happened after the Civil War. The motto surfaced first as a proposal during the Continental Congress in 1776 to illustrate the thirteen colonies becoming a new country.”
“What was the second thing, Mr. R?” asked Mary Ann.
“The second thing was slavery. We'll discuss the role it played in the Constitutional debates during the next couple of weeks.” Fritz finished the class with a lot of homework, for which he received a rousing chorus of boos.
All seniors made up his next class, Twentieth Century history. Standing with Ashley by his doorway, they were greeted by the twin sounds of “Hi, Mr. Gilbert.” Ashley barely flinched, and said hello, as Rachel and Nicole went into Fritz's classroom.
“You didn't tell me,” Ashley said.
“I don't have the same relationship as you. Strange that I've never had them before.”
“Better late than never. See you later.”
Rachel asked, “Will we have a tournament this year, Mr. R?” Fritz chuckled. “Nicole and I have been studying all summer.”
“I'm glad you're ready to be back, Rachel. I haven't been told yet. You're the first one to ask me.”
“Last year's tournament was great. We should try it again. Especially for the ninth graders, Mr. R,” said Nicole, joined by boisterous agreement. Fritz held up his hands. He told them they had to generate enough interest, and then, if Mr. McAllister agreed, maybe.
“Mr. McAllister isn't a problem, Mr. R,” Rachel said. “Nicole and I can take care of him. Easy.”
“Let's get back to why you're here, shall we? As you can see, we are starting from the middle of the twentieth century. In my opinion, the most important event of the century was World War II. We will study the causes and events that led to the war, and the consequences at the war's end. I have a goal for this class. I want you to understand that the men and women we call the Greatest Generation and the events they lived through shaped the world we live in today. I hope you will see the paths they created for you to follow as you continue into the rest of your lives.”
Rachel said, “Mr. R, I think the time will fly because even if you're boring, we'll all make it fun.”
“Then I have something to look forward to, Rachel. Now let's get to work.” This is going to be interesting.
By the end of class, they were all moaning about the work load, plus homework on the first day. Ash stopped in as they left.
“I've finally rubbed off on you. Keep this up and they'll hate you for sure.”
The first day continued with more new faces and more complaining. During sixth period, Brandy Levine asked a question he had hoped to avoid. She asked if they would meet Robert E. Lee.
“Mr. R, kids say that you made up that stuff about special effects. Can you really time travel?”
Here we go again. “Class, raise your hands if you believe time travel is possible.” No hands. “Since we all agree, let's talk about the Continental Congress.”
In seventh period, a larger group than ever entered his work history class. Rachel and Nicole took seats in the front row. They were wearing the same outfits and shoes. Even their haircuts were the same. For the first time, he really noticed. He reviewed his outline and listened once more to complaints about the homework amount.
Ashley stood at his door when the period ended. Fritz walked down the hall to join him.
“How's it going?” Fritz asked.
“Honestly, I'm not ready for this. It's hard to get them excited when I'm not. Even Rachel and Nicole remind me.” The bell rang.
Last year's tournament organizers packed his last class of the day, World History. A buzz filled the room as he closed the door. They were all smiling, even at the end of the day.
“Welcome back. I hope you are all prepared to work hard again this year. We will…”
“Mr. R,” said Susan Leslie, “we're ready to start a new tournament. Is that okay?” The kids all leaned toward him.
“When you say 'ready,' does that mean you've all talked?”
“More than that, Mr. R,” said Ted O'Neil. “We've already talked to Mr. McAllister.”
“We went to his house yesterday,” said Samantha Styron. “Mrs. McAllister is nice.”
“Funny. He didn't mention it to me this morning.” They looked around at each other, Ashley's Cheshire Cat-grins everywhere. “What are you guys up to?”
Susan said, “We asked him not to. We wanted to surprise you. And so many of us were in your class, we waited. We didn't even tell our friends.”
“So what happened at the McAllisters?”
“We told him we had a plan, that we've already talked to Mr. Witcannon and Mr. Hoffman, and some of us went to New York and met with Mr. Sapphire and Nat.”
“Really. So she's in on this too.” They are amazing.
“Yup. And Mr. Sapphire said to keep him in the loop. Those were his words. Pretty cool, huh, Mr. R.”
“It is, Ted. What did Mr. McAllister say?”
“Oh, he was his usual huffy and puffy self. But he said what he said last year. Get the teachers.”
“Mr. R,” Susan interrupted. “We have the list of who did it, so we split it up and everyone's talked to at least one teacher so far.”
“And we asked Rachel and Nicole to spread the word to the seniors, so every teacher in school knows about it,” said Jay Bennett.
“You guys have done everything. What do you need from me, all you marketing entrepreneurs?”
“Mr. McAllister said we had to ask you to be the sponsor,” Susan said. “He said if you won't do it, then we can't.”
Ted said, “We asked if we could have a different teacher, but he said that if he had to put up with us, so did you.”
Fritz agreed to be the sponsor, and after a short moment of cheering, he said, “Here's your homework.” To end his day, they didn't even complain.
* * *
AS FRITZ'S last class ended, so did a meeting in the Oval Office.
The president said, “You'll need to act like you belong. We'll have a tech work with you. We'll also meet with Declercq. He'll be instructed on how this is going to work.”
General Beech said, “Your name is Gabrielle Sanderson. Become her.”
She saluted them both and left.
Chapter 22
TELESPHORE RICHEMARTEL STOOD at the edge of the harbor at Ashdod, watching one of the world's largest cargo ships being dismantled. Waves from the salvage boats and the rocking cranes lapped the piers below him. Poking their heads above the gentle waves, divers were connecting chains to raise the turbines, one at a time. Four floating cranes rose like skeletal obelisks above the sunken hull. Somewhere nearby, though not visible to him, Declercq observed the destruction. Behind him, a line of trucks took on the solar panels that had been retrieved. He smirked, having arranged that the trucks would not arrive at their destination.
* * *
THE MAPLES SWAYED in the breeze. Fritz scanned the clouds as he drove to work, listening to the radio. Rain would come soon. As he turned into the parking lot, Tony Almeida waved.
“What's up Tony? I haven't heard anything.”
“Fritz, the president wants to get Declercq. He sent me to warn you.”
“Now? He should have called. We can't do it now. The teachers are here. The kids will be in a matter of minutes. How about after school?”
Tony glanced at his watch. “I'll call him.” After a brief explanation, Fritz had the phone.
“Mr. President, I've never said no to you, but right now, students are all over. A bunch are crossing the street, some are in the parking lot. All the teachers are here. I'll do it after school, not now.”
“Fritz, if you'll get him, he can stay here all day. We have a plan for the Caballeros' meeting.”
He told Tom and Ashley that during homeroom they needed to cover the hall, and tell the other teachers to keep their kids out of the hall. “I'll explain later.” Once I come up with a story.
“You're cutting it close,” Ash said. “Tom, cover your side and I'll do mine.”
“We have a window of about ten minutes. I have Declercq's map. I'll get him and bring him to you. We won't have much time.”
“Fritz, he's in the small closet. In his London office.”
“I don't have that.”
“Come get me. I have it.” Fritz glanced at his watch. Once Tony had the generator attached to the door knob, Fritz grabbed and pulled.
“Stay there,” Fritz said, snatching the sheet from the president. Florian's location had been circled so he set the clip and ran out. He tapped the door and pulled again.
Sitting at a mini-desk, Declercq raised his head. “Let's go,” Fritz said. “We don't have time to spare.” Fritz's sudden appearance seemed to be unexpected. Declercq collected a file, and started to clear his desk. “Mr. Declercq, we really don't have time. Please.”
Still dawdling, Florian put on his suitcoat, put the files in a briefcase, and said, “I expected General Beech.”
Fritz took shallow breaths and flexed his hands, feeling the warmth rise from his collar. He led Declercq to the portal and when they were in the hall, ran to change the connections. With less than a minute left, he yanked the door open, and took Declercq's arm to push him through.
He pushed the door closed in the president's face. Moments later, Tony's phone rang. He handed it to Fritz.
“No niceties today, Fritz?”
“I have less than a minute to get Tony out of here. I hope you have a good reason.” He hung up. Ashley was chuckling behind him.
“You did it again. What's that now? Three or four times?”
“Doesn't matter. Help Tony get this out of here.” The bell rang. “Never mind. Put it in the back of my class.” The hallway exploded with kids beginning another day. “Tony, you can stay if you want, or I'll see you after school.”
“Fritz, I'll go. I've already had the pleasure of a day in your classes. I'd rather have a tooth filled.” He grinned.
He waved to Ashley and Tom as his first class shuffled by them. Taking a deep breath, he walked in to face his ninth graders. They would visit with the Founding Fathers for the next few weeks, he told them. “Imagine that you are in Philadelphia in 1775. Filled with men from all the colonies. The city streets are bustling with wagons and carriages. Take a deep breath. Can you smell the horse manure in the streets?” Icks and yucks flew at him. “The Congress is gathering at the Pennsylvania State House.”
“Where's that, Mr. Russell?” asked Dave Brillman.
“Today it's called Independence Hall. They came to discuss recent laws passed by the Parliament, to express their concern and displeasure. Can anyone tell me what they were mad about?”
Dudley Dowell said, “Taxes.”
“Good. What else did they find intolerable?” He watched eyes light up. The answer had been part of their homework.
Suzanne Smitch, nearly jumping from her chair, said, “Oo, Oo, the Intolerable Acts.”
“And what were they?”
She said, “I don't remember them all, but one made the people provide houses for soldiers.”
“Good. Let's back up a bit. In December of 1773, a group of Massachusetts citizens dressed up as Native Americans and threw barrels of tea into Boston Harbor. And they called that…?”
In unison, the answer flooded out. “The Boston Tea Party.”
“The Acts closed the port of Boston until the colony repaid the cost of the tea. That meant no supplies received and no communication outgoing by sea. Most pressing to the congress, Parliament established that only it could appoint people to govern Massachusetts. If that could happen in one colony, it could happen in all. The Acts also declared that if crimes were committed by royal governors, they had to be tried in England. The congress perceived that laws could be broken and the criminals would get away with it.”
“Mr. Russell,” said Dan Burchfield, “as a part of the British Empire, why would they be so hard on us?”
“To answer that, we need to go back even further. Stationing soldiers in America during the French and Indian War cost England a lot of money. Parliament passed the Stamp Act to raise funds from the colonies to pay for and support British soldiers who were protecting the colonies. Then they passed additional taxes that only affected the colonies. Considering themselves to be Englishmen, the colonists protested. Why would Englishmen be against paying to support their government?”
“No one likes paying taxes,” said Walter Donahue.
“Your parents pay taxes, for schools, roads, for a variety of things. Why don't they revolt?”
Glenn Peterson answered, “Because we elect people to run the government.” Fritz waited and waved for more. “The colonies didn't elect Parliament.”
“Yup. The taxes were necessary, but no representatives would speak up for the colonies. That created a rallying cry.” Fritz cupped his hand to his ear.
The class shouted, “No taxation without representation.”
“You guys sound like it did back then. Tomorrow, we'll talk about the changes that led to the Declaration of Independence.
When the next class sat down, Fritz laughed. His plan was working. He could use the same discussion in his American history classes.
“I presume you all did the reading?” He nodded when all hands went up. “In my last class, we talked about Philadelphia, but we are going to Boston. The capital of Massachusetts and an important port, the British sent soldiers and a warship to enforce acts of Parliament. The colonial government refused to enforce the laws and called for a boycott of all goods from England. They sent letters to all the other colonies asking for support of the boycott. Soldiers and citizens confronted each other regularly. On the evening of March 5, 1770, a mob formed and taunted a soldier in front of the Customs House. More soldiers came as the crowd grew. Provoked and assaulted, the soldiers fired into the crowd and killed five men. So why is the Boston Massacre important since only five people were killed?”
A new face and a new voice, Bob Eggerton said, “It's important because the soldiers were in America to enforce the King's laws, and not as protectors for the colonists. What I don't understand is why Boston was the focal point, instead of New York or Philadelphia.”
Fritz knew right away that he needed a good answer for this bright boy. “Bob's your name, right?” His student nodded. “As a port, Boston had been badly affected by the tax policies, and the people were ready to protest. The deeply religious background of its people, who valued honesty and fairness served an important role in how they governed themselves.”
“But why not New York or Philadelphia, or one of the other places?”
“Good question. I may have some homework myself.” The class giggled. “New York leaned more to the British in make-up and history, with no inclination to question the King. Philadelphia, with its liberal beginnings and Quaker peacefulness, was not as belligerent. But let me read up some more. Maybe I'll have a better answer.”
Fritz was relieved just to sit when he reached the end of the day. His students challenged him with tough questions, with new twists. He could feel the portal behind it all. And his decision to change his approach disturbed the inertia of his ten-year routine. This might be fun.
“You look like I just beat you on the court,” Ashley said. “What happened?”
“I feel like when I first started to teach. Changing the timelines has rocked my boat. I've been tired before, but this is different. I've been standing all day. I never do that.”
“Yo
u need to get some exercise, get back in shape. Seriously.”
“Probably a good idea. A better one would be to figure out what the president's doing.” His door opened, and Tom Jaffrey walked in.
“Hi. I haven't had a chance to ask. What happened this morning?”
“Tom, I'm not sure. They only gave me a few minutes notice. Thanks for helping.”
“Sure. But the bell sure made it a close call. Is something happening?”
Fritz measured what he could say. “The president has a line on who's behind the ship bombing in Israel and the attacks on our bases.” Out the window, he saw a Suburban slow down. “We'll find out more in a minute.” He pointed. “That's Tony.”
“Can I stay?” Tom asked.
“The rules are the same. Sure.”
When the door didn't open, they walked to the hall. The Suburban sat at the curb, Tony talking on the phone. Looking toward them, he waved hello, and held up a finger, telling them he'd be right there.
“What's going on?” Fritz asked.
“The president wants us to set up in five minutes. From the sound, a bunch of people must be around. He wants to talk to you.”
“Let's get set up. Strange. None of the kids asked about the generator. Tom, Ash, would you keep everyone out of the hall?”
Fritz opened the portal to the president, the general, and Declercq. Fritz set up and sent Florian back to London. Then they went into the classroom. The president said they weren't staying long, but that he wanted to explain. The plan would need the portal more often. They had created a girlfriend for Florian and their act had to be perfect. “We need them to practice, Fritz, as much as possible until they go to the meeting.”
“You need to give me more time than this morning.”
“Couldn't be helped. Florian only got back from Israel this morning. We found phone taps and listening devices for all the new members. We only have a few weeks and no open lines to talk.” In almost mirror image, Fritz and the president rubbed behind their left ears. “Thanks, Fritz. Now, let's get out of here.”
Voices nearby explained why Tom blocked the door when it opened. Ashley was talking and two female voices said they wanted to see Mr. Russell.
Storm Surge (Quantum Touch Book 5) Page 10
