“Mr. Karpinen. I am Tony James from News First. We have been trying for weeks to get a comment from you about all the deaths that have occurred worldwide using your artificial gravity machine."
“Camera and sound off."
“Don't you want your response known to the public?"
“Camera and sound off.” The TV face on the man changed and he nodded to the cameraman to stop taping. Before either knew what was happening, Tabby came up behind them and double-checked that the equipment was turned off.
“Two questions before you get to ask anything. What deaths are you talking about? And what is this bull about trying to contact me?"
“Ever since you released the information on your artificial gravity devices people have been making them. Over the last two years there have been 35,000 deaths and 80,000 injuries world wide from people using your devices. They range from the spectacular crash of a homebuilt gravity plane into the Chrysler building in New York to the decapitation of an experimenter in New Deli when he turned the power up too high on the gravity device he had built in his garage and a sickle was pulled off the wall. Do you think the courts should hold you libel for these events?"
“Answer my other question. What is this bull about trying to contact me?"
“We called your corporate lawyer about the possible filing of a suit by the builder of the plane that ran into the Chrysler building."
“Really, what is this possible suit all about?"
“The pilot of the plane is claiming that there should have been a disclaimer that you had to be a trained pilot before using your gravity device to power a plane."
“So you are here asking for comments on a suit that hasn't been filed. I bet you were contacted by the lawyer of this pilot. Weren't you?"
“What are your comments about all the deaths and injuries caused by your device?"
“Come with me."
I walked them out of the woods. Felix and his men pulled the reporter and his cameraman aside. While they kept the reporter busy, I called the sheriff’s office and asked for Tom. I explained how I had found a reporter and cameraman trespassing on the farm. Tom showed up in twenty minutes.
The FBI men had the two men surrounded. Tom nodded to them and said, “Are these the ones caught trespassing?"
“Yes."
Tom gave me a wink. “I'll take care of it.” He got out cuffs and put the men in the back of the car and their equipment in the trunk. “What do you want me to do with them?"
“Just make sure if they want a comment they come to the lab and ask. I don't want them hanging around inside the property line. It might pay to remind them that people died here less than two years ago.
“How's Oggie? It has just been so crazy out here I haven't had much of a chance to keep up with local events."
“Oggie's fine. She and the other gals are making money. I hear them talking on the phone between the soaps about it. They are talking about throwing a big picnic at the State Park. How about coming?"
“Give me a call with a time and date. Tabby and I will show up."
“What was that? Did you just volunteer me for something?” asked Tabby.
“Just a picnic meal with the Coffee Klutch gals."
“Mom was telling me about that."
“Well bye Tom. I appreciate it."
“No trouble."
* * * *
No one knew how old the Cell was. Records were never kept. But Mikhail Bakunin's 'the passion for destruction is also a creative urge' and Enrico Malatesta's 'propaganda ofthe deed' were both quoted during the indoctrination of a new member using both the original Russian and Italian languages. The rumor was that at least one of those men was personally involved with the forming of the Cell.
The current leader of the Cell used the name Santa. He looked like Saint Nick but he was a true terrorist. That jolly bearded face had watched the pieces of a hundred bodies picked up after the bombs that he had made exploded. All members of the Cell used noms de plume during all meetings and communications. The history of the Cell was peppered with incongruous statements such as Olive Oil drowned the ambassador or Peter Piper blew up the building.
“We need to find a new target. Our actions have been marginalized by the news media over the last few months. The bombing at the economic summit only made the national news for two days. And we were unable to stop the ecumenical peace conference after Juliet was caught poisoning the food."
Hamlet said, “I still think that we should supply equipment and intelligence to eco-groups. With the building evidence of manmade global disaster, everything they do will be reported."
Santa replied, “The Cell has survived because we have chosen to do only one act of terrorism every six months and have done everything ourselves. If we do more, we will become a target of the establishment and every person who knows about us outside the group adds for the chance of betrayal."
Snow White said, “Why don't we do an assassination? We have been concentrating on the big conferences and meetings because of all the media news organizations covering the events. But a well chosen murder will bring the media to us."
Romeo said, “Why not? We have stuck too long with the same events. We need some variety to bring back our creative urge."
Santa cleared his throat. “Okay. Does anyone have an idea for next passion?” And looked to Snow White.
“I think the best way is to strike at the current darling of industry, government, and science. We need to
kill Daniel Karpinen. And we need to do it in a spectacular way. The 'propaganda ofthe deed' has to be worthy of the target."
With the formal language from the past, the group agreed to the new target.
Chapter 21
Building the Ship
The picnic was just what we needed. Felix and his men looked out of place with their attempt to blend in with civilian clothes. They just couldn't hide the guns and radios. They all insisted on wearing dark glasses so they could observe people without them seeing were they were being looked at.
I didn't feel that old but lately everyone I seemed to be talking to was over fifty. Manning, Schmitt, Ole ... the ladies from the Coffee Klutch were my daily business contacts. The U of M college students never wanted to socialize ... For the first time in months there were kids and young adults. Tabby was gone just as soon as we got out of the cars talking to her high school friends. I remembered a few from my high school days but I had left school too many years ago to need to talk to them.
There was one thing about the state park that made it the place to be in the summer. It had a great swimming beach. I had my swimsuit under my clothes. The water was cold enough to send chills through your body but warm enough that you could stay in for an hour at a time.
Kids were splashing. From a dock next to the swimming beach, a group of adults were pulling skiers amid yells and splashes. I got sand in my hair and water up my nose. I felt young again. Tabby came out to join me. We splashed and groped each other under the water. Chilled, we climbed out and laid on our towels absorbing the sun.
I noticed the gulls flying overhead. I followed their motions and saw a small boat a hundred yards up the shoreline. There was a fishing line off the side of the boat. But something didn't feel right. I looked straight at Felix and then straight at the boat. I saw him talk into his radio mike. At the same time I heard Tabby, “The boat is leaving."
The rest of the picnic was filled with food, casseroles, salads, barbecued chicken, and ribs. Stuffed, slightly sun burned, and totally exhausted everyone piled into their cars when the evening mosquitoes came out and headed for home.