Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:14:33 -0800 (PST) From: adm2780 Subject: New Horizons, Chapter 114 All rights reserved. Other than downloading one copy for personal enjoyment, no part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, except for reviews, without the written permission of the author. As in real life, the sexual themes unfold gradually and are kept to a realistic level. If you are looking for sex on every page, then this is not the story for you. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author, Dwight Wilson, at adm2780@yahoo.com This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral dilemmas, then why are you here? NOTE: Special thanks to Matthew for his time and efforts proof reading and editing the chapters. Without his support, this story would not be nearly as interesting. Chapter One-hundred Fourteen: New Horizons "There's cars out there that weren't here while ago," one boy commented as he approached the group of boys sitting on the ground. Beginning shortly after breakfast, cars and people dressed strangely had been arriving and going into the office. The boys knew that Daniel was meeting with these people. They also knew that the four Indian boys, who had reacted so strangely to the two men wearing feathered capes, were still with one of those men. The boys were no longer kneeling or prostrate on the ground. They stood on either side of the man as though they were waiting for a signal or orders. Brad approached the group, kneeling down next to where Sean sat on the ground with a few other boys. "Sean, have you seen the twins, Bill and John?" Brad asked. "Uh-uh. Didn't know they were here," Sean replied. "Where they supposed to be?" "Not sure. They came with Brian and Josh this mornin'." Brad turned and looked at some of the new boys that were gathered around. "Any of you guys in the same place as those four Indian boys?" "They was in the same place as me and a bunch 'o others here, but they didn't hafta do the stuff we did. We just saw 'em once in a while, sittin' around and just, like, starin' off at nothin'." The boys were quiet for a couple of minutes, each boy looking towards the office, keeping his thoughts to himself. "Oh, by the way, I'm Brad. This is my little brother, Sean." Brad spoke to the boy that had just shared some information with them. "I'm Parker, and this runt next ta me is Tristan." Tristan shot a hard elbow to Parker's ribs for the smart remark. "Brad," Sean reached out a hand for his brother, "there's more cars comin'." "Yeah, and thems government cars," Parker added. "You can tell cause they all look alike painted black and with dark windows. Look at the sign thing on the door. It says they're immigration people. Wish I could hear what's happenin'." "Yeah, well one thing's for sure," Brad responded, "we won't know unless Mr. Dan'l decides it's okay for us to know. Another thing, you can bet Mr. Dan'l's arguin' ta protect somebody. You guys can sit here and stare at that building or watch cars come and go all ya want. I know somethin' that's a lot more interestin' ta me right now and I'm headed there." "Where ya goin'?" asked Sean. "Mess hall ta see what kind of snacks they got for us." "Ya mean we can get somethin' ta eat whenever we want?" one of the new boys asked. "Didn't you hear Mr. Dan'l the other day? It's just like back home. In between meals there's always fruit and other stuff out so we can just walk in and grab somethin' whenever we're hungry." Every boy began to follow Brad, the mention of food having changed their priorities. * * * * * * Mark stepped into the meeting room as quietly as possible and handed Daniel a note. The note let Daniel know that representatives from the state department and INS had arrived; they were accompanied by a federal marshal. "Gentlemen, I've just been notified that representatives from the federal government are here." "Daniel, I'm sorry. I neglected to tell you that we had to give them notice given that this could be an international situation," the governor responded. "I suggest we take a short break while I meet them." Daniel turned his attention to Mr. Garcia and Chief Monteczoma. "Are there any objections to asking them to join us?" "Not at all," Garcia responded. "It would be most appropriate." Daniel and the governor stepped into the front room to greet the new arrivals. Daniel introduced himself and the governor. The men introduced themselves as Victor Owens with the state department, Thomas Franklin with INS, and Carl Hendrix, a federal marshal on special assignment with the FBI. "Governor, Daniel," Owens spoke for the trio, "we've been asked to come here regarding the boys believed to have been kidnapped and smuggled into this country. Our job is to make sure this is worked out satisfactorily and maintain good relations with our South American neighbors." "Mr. Owens," the Governor responded, "we understand the need for diplomacy. However, isn't it a little unusual for a federal marshal and the FBI to be involved with diplomatic matters?" "You're correct, Governor," Hendrix answered. "I'm here as part of a special investigation into the smuggling of illegal aliens and enslavement of many of those aliens. We believe there may be some connection to our investigation. We were advised that during the raid a couple of boys were picked up that may have come from Cuba?" "That's right," Daniel interjected. "So, you are here primarily about those boys?" "Yes, but, as I stated, we are trying to determine if the smuggling ring involving those boys is also part of the group that smuggled the four Indian boys into the country." "Marshal Hendrix, we are meeting with representatives for the four boys at the moment. Before we address the two boys we think are from Cuba, I'd like to talk with you outside of this meeting, if you don't mind." "Mr. Thompson, I was thoroughly briefed on you and New Horizons before coming. I think I would have been surprised if you hadn't asked me that. Let me assure you that we mean no harm to the boys and will do all we can under the circumstances to help them." "That's also one of the reasons that I'm here," Franklin added. The men were escorted into the conference room and introductions were made all around. Before taking his seat, Daniel asked Mark to go to the mess hall and ask for a tray with beverages to be sent over. "Gentlemen," Garcia spoke up. "If I may make a suggestion before we continue. We understand the concerns of Mr. Thompson and of the governments to assure that the boys are who we believe them to be. We have with us DNA samples and documentation that will establish their identity with a DNA match. I would like to suggest that the tests be conducted while we talk. Also, I understand that there are two other boys whom we believe to be twins that were abducted approximately five years ago. Would it be agreeable to also conduct the DNA tests for those boys?" "Michael?" Daniel deferred to Dr. Mike who responded with a slight nod before exiting the room. "Excuse me, if I may interrupt?" Hendrix interjected. "We have already contacted the local authorities and with a phone call they will send a car to pick up the samples and take them to the lab for immediate testing." Hendrix then realized that no one knew why the test had been anticipated. "We had been advised that Mr. Garcia would have the DNA samples and documents with him on arrival." "May I ask a consideration?" the chief asked. Daniel's response was to give the chief his undivided attention. "May we see the boys before we do this testing? There is a ritual that the boys were to have participated in at the age of six. These boys were taken before they could participate and earn the right to move forward in their exalted positions. If the boys are not capable, or have forgotten their training, then it may be best that the boys remain here with the others. In that event, the results of the test would be of no concern." Daniel knew the ritual the chief was referring to due to his conversations with his father. However, Daniel did not reveal his knowledge of the ritual or the boys' abilities. Daniel was also becoming more convinced, primarily due to the strong similarities in appearance, and after hearing the time frames of the boys' disappearance, that the twins were a part of this society. "The ritual you speak of," Grandpa interjected, "could it be performed here, today?" Grandpa was also fully aware of the ritual and knew the boys would have no problems. However, this was a diplomatic matter and protocol needed to be respected. "Yes, and I am sure there are those among us who have conducted research and are familiar with the ritual. The full ritual will take approximately one hour and must be done in pubic with many witnesses. For those present that are not familiar with the ritual, I should state that many of our rituals, including the ritual we are now discussing, are sexual in nature. May we impose on you gentlemen and the boys present to assist?" "Excuse me," Daniel spoke, "prior to discussing the ritual, we were discussing another matter that I believe is very important." "Yes, I understand your concerns and agree we need to discuss them. However, if the ritual is to take place, the boys will need to go through purification. The brief purification ritual will require approximately three hours. Is it possible to see the boys and determine that the ritual is appropriate? We could then address any concerns you have while our high priest, who is standing with the four boys outside, begins the purification process for the younger boys." No one in the room responded, respecting Daniel's position; this should be his call. Daniel looked at the chief and ambassador a moment, thinking. Daniel looked at the chief. "What would you like us to do?" "Thank you for your consideration, it is most appreciated," the chief answered. "I will join my brother, the high priest, outside. When the boys are brought out, we will be waiting to see how they react to us. Their reaction will tell us much of what we need to know." Daniel directed his attention to the governor and other men in the room. The men nodded to Daniel, giving their support. Daniel rose from the table and opened the door to get Mark. He asked Mark to have Brian and Josh bring the twins outside in five minutes. The chief and high priest stood next to one another. The two boys wearing the collars stood directly behind them and a little off to the side. The remaining two Indian boys stood behind the collared boys. Daniel, the governor and other gentlemen stood in a group to the side, observing. Soon, the door opened and Brian and Josh walked outside with the twins. The twins were between the older boys; each held the hand of their big brother. The twins were looking around, curious to see what was happening when one of the boys spotted the chief and high priest. He reached for his brother's arm and said something to his brother. Both boys looked straight at the chief and high priest. The twins released the hands they were holding. Their demeanor quickly changed; their attention focused solely on the two men. The twins dropped their hands by their sides and walked smartly, stepping in unison, towards the chief and high priest. As the boys approached, their eyes began to look toward the men's feet. Stopping about three feet in front of the men, the boys dropped to their knees and sat back on their ankles. With arms by their sides, both boys leaned forward from the waist at a thirty degree angle and bowed their heads. The boys said something, speaking so only the two men could hear them. The chief responded and then the high priest said something to the boys. The men looked at the boys and then at one another and smiled. When they said something else, both boys looked up at the men. Each twin had tears running down their cheeks, but they were smiling. The men and boys continued to speak with one another. Finally, the men reached down and, placing a hand on the upper arm of each boy, helped the boys stand. The boys gave each man a kiss on each cheek. In return, the men gave each boy a kiss on the forehead. No one could hear what was being said, but Daniel did notice when the twin pointed towards Brian and Josh; the boys also turned as though they were looking for someone or something. The men each took the hand of one of the twins and approached Daniel. "Daniel, I believe we should conduct the DNA tests to affirm our belief that these are the twins taken from us five years ago. My brother and I are convinced they are the same boys, but understand the need to eliminate any questions." "We agree," Daniel replied. "After seeing the boys' reactions I feel the same as you, but I do have certain reservations." "Understandable," the chief answered. "However, I'm sure that I can answer your concerns satisfactorily when we step back inside. Also, these older boys have something they would like to tell you." The chief turned and looked at the twins wearing the collars. The two boys stepped forward. After nodding their respect to the chief, they faced Daniel. "We want you to know how much we appreciate what you and the other men have done for us. Our high priest says we must also apologize to you for not letting you know that we do speak your language." Daniel was stunned at how well the boys spoke English. After a moment, he could only smile and laugh. The chief stepped forward. "All of our children are required to learn their native Mayan language, plus the Spanish that most people around us speak, and of course, the international language of English. The boys are taught that when they find themselves in a situation that may present some threat to them, they are not to let their language skills be known. Being mute was not intended as anything more than a form of self defense." "Boys, we are not offended. We are pleased and honored that we could help you. We would like to ask though that you talk with us and clear some of our concerns." The two boys looked to their chief who nodded his consent. The two boys then nodded to Daniel and stepped back so he could lead them. "Michael," Daniel addressed his friend, "I think it's more of a formality at this point than anything else, but let's run the tests just so no one can challenge anything later." "Gentlemen, shall we return to the conference room and resume our discussion?" ? * * * * * * The group of boys exited the mess hall with snacks in hand. Richard noticed the group that had gathered outside. "Look, they've come outside, and there's the twins walkin' towards those two men in the feathered capes." The boys watched as the twins approached and knelt. No one said anything until the twins stood and kissed the men on the cheek. "Who do ya think they are?" Sean asked. "Don't know, but kinda look like they'd be important with those capes. The twins just kissed 'em and they kissed the twins. What d'ya thinks goin' on?" another boy asked. "If I had to guess," Brad replied, "I'd say the twins are pro'bly goin' home. See how they're walkin' off with that one guy? The other one's goin' inside with Mr. Dan'l. Look, those four Indian boys are followin' 'em inside. Sure wish I could hear what's happenin'." * * * * * * "Mark, it'll be lunch-time soon. How about letting the mess hall know that we'll have guests?" The men filed into the room, taking the seats they previously occupied. The four Indian boys stood behind their chief. Now that everyone knew the boys could speak English, it was not necessary for Enrico to remain with the boys. "Before we begin, if I may," the chief spoke first, "I understand that there is a journalist, a woman, who has been very supportive of your cause." The chief noticed the puzzled looks from the men. "The boys told my brother that they had heard the other boys speaking of her. Also, they had seen her sons, who are also twins. In our culture, the mother of twins is given special recognition and privileges. What I am attempting to do here is to invite the lady to sit with us and share in our conversation." "That's very generous," Daniel replied. "Elizabeth is in an adjoining room. I'll ask her in." When Elizabeth joined the group, brief formalities were exchanged and the discussion continued. "Chief, if I may get right to the point of my concerns?" Daniel asked. The chief merely nodded courteously. "There are really two major concerns. The boys talked to Enrico of having been taken from their master. To us, this implied that they were slaves and that gives us great concern. The second concern is around the two younger boys. We have reason to believe that they believe they failed in their duties or responsibilities and must be punished; the punishment could be death and not necessarily a swift one." The two younger boys listened to Daniel, their expressions stoic. When the chief looked at the boys they looked down as though they were ashamed. The chief held out his hands, palms up, and the two boys stepped up to him with one on either side. The chief wrapped his arms around their naked, beautifully tanned buns, letting his hands come to rest on their hip bones. After saying something to the boys in what the men assumed was the Mayan language, the boys looked at Daniel and spoke. "We did not mean to trouble you. As students, it is our duty to protect our masters." The boys looked at the collared twins. "We had sworn to protect them with our lives, if necessary. When we were taken by the evil men, we believed that we had failed. We lived and knew that we should not and were prepared for our life spirit to be taken. Our souls would then be taken by the Creator of all things. If deemed worthy, our imperfections would be corrected, and our spirits returned to again serve our people." The chief then followed through on the boys' statement. "My brother, our high priest, has explained to the boys that they did not fail. He explained to the boys that the strongest and the bravest of all warriors could not have withstood the weapons and the evil those men brought upon them. These boys fulfilled their duty when they stayed beside their masters, did not betray their secrets, and continued to serve as best they could. The boys will not be punished. They will be rewarded for their loyalty." The chief tapped both boys on their hips. The boys leaned down and the chief placed a light kiss on the forehead of each boy. They then returned to their position behind the collared boys as their chief continued. "In this instance, do not think of the term 'master' as one who owns another as property. There was a time in our culture that we did have slaves in the manner in which you are thinking, but those slaves were our enemy. After conquering our enemy, they were taken to our villages and made slaves where we could watch their activities. As slaves they could no longer plot against us. Today, we settle our differences in another way and no longer have slaves. "To the boys their master is the same as a student of the Oriental arts of karate would view their teacher. These boys standing behind me, as well as my brother and myself, are tzoupax. If you are interested, rather than me explaining what that means, it may be best for me to allow one of the boys to explain it to you in his words." "Please," Daniel answered, "I believe we would all be very interested to learn." The collared boy standing to the chief's right stepped forward. "My people believe that identical twins such as my brother and myself are blessed. We are chosen by the gods to fulfill a prophecy that was written many centuries past. Our history is told in the Popol Vuh and begins with the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. The Hero Twins established the rules and thoughts that we follow today in our daily lives and for dealing with conflicts. "The Hero Twins used their cunning and skill to overcome those who would do them and their people harm. They taught that peace and harmony must prevail for the people to prosper, but they also knew that there would be time that peace and harmony would not prevail. They became great ball players and, when the people were challenged, they challenged their opponents to a game to settle any differences. That same game is played today and is used to settle disputes between clans or families." "If I may interrupt," the chief interjected. "The game he refers to is very similar to Lacrosse. There is a ball that is carried in a small basket and can be passed from one team member to another. Today, we play to a score of seven. In the game there are no rules except to score. There have been games where the teams played all day and neither team would score the points to declare victory. However, all the players would be so worn out that they often forgot why they argued. The game could be quite rough, with many injuries, but no deaths." The chief nodded to the boy and the boy continued. "Through all time, twins have been viewed as special. As such, they have been given a place of privilege among the people. They are also charged with special responsibilities to the people which all twins fulfill with honor and gratitude for the privilege of serving. As a future leader of a family, I am charged with learning the lineage of my family from the time of the hero Twins through the tribe and clan of which my family is a member. It is my duty to pass this information, and the history, to the young members of our family. My brother, as high priest, is charged with knowing the rituals and being able to conduct them at the appointed times. We serve our people to keep our past, our culture, our life, alive. "At our next challenge I must be able to recite the lineage and my brother will be asked to perform several rituals as well as chants. If we pass the challenge we will be honored and be given the ritual to pass into the group of adult men and receive our names that will stay with us for the remainder of our lives. When the time comes that we have fulfilled our destiny of this earth and it is time to leave, we will pray that the Creator will view us with pleasure. If this happens, our spirits will pass into the sky to join the twins that passed before us. One of us will look down on our people and help protect them during the day, while the other will pass over and protect during the night." "How many families are there?" Amos Crawford asked. "There are five major tribes," the chief answered. "The tribes are then divided into clans and the clans into families; there are presently twenty-nine families. These boys, and the two youngest twins that you rescued, belong to the Quiché Maya tribe. Their tribe is dominant in the most southern area of Central America." "Excuse me," Amos interjected, "but, with that many people, how have you been able to keep the existence of your people a secret, as you say?" "There is a saying among your peoples that sometimes it is best to hide in the open. Our people are seen every day. Many of the resorts that American tourists enjoy visiting are owned by many of the families. If you observe the employees, you would realize that they employ almost totally Mayan people. The Maya are a thriving people. What we guard against is allowing our culture to be wiped out as was done with many of the American Indian nations. And, if I may be bold enough to say so, we try very hard to protect our young. We recognize that they are our future." With the last observation most of the people in the room looked down and smiled. No one could argue with the chief's statement. "Excuse me, may I interject?" asked the marshal, Carl Hendrix. The chief and Daniel looked at Hendrix and waited for him to speak. "Chief, you stated that the boys were stolen, or kidnapped. Since they are closely guarded, may I ask how someone managed to abduct them?" "Mr. Hendrix, the Maya are a proud people, but they are people. When the boys were taken, we immediately questioned their guards. We found that one of them was missing. He was found, or more accurately revealed to us, several days later. He confessed that he had accepted money to turn his back; money he wanted to use for his immediate family. He chose to sacrifice the good of the people for his personal gain. The guard revealed quite a bit to us before paying the price of his betrayal." The ambassador handed Hendrix a typed paper that had been signed at the bottom. Hendrix could only assume it was signed by the guard. Reviewing the names, several were familiar. The names also identified those people in the United States had been cooperating with the kidnappers. "Mr. Hendrix, I believe you will find that many of those names match names on your government's list of men suspected of dealing in an international slave ring." "Gentlemen," Daniel spoke up. "I'm sure we are all interested in reading that list and hearing much more about our young friends. However, may I suggest a brief break? * * * * * * "Okay, guys, you need to form five rows with the tallest boys in the back, the next tallest in front of them, and so on. There should be about six feet, or two paces between rows." Mark had the boys outside lining up to do calisthenics. Mark realized he had more boys than he thought he would have and then understood why. "Okay, I want all boys age ten and under to stand over here in a separate group." Mark was pulling Danny, Kyle and several other boys out of the group. His goal was to test the boys that had been used for pleasure, given a slave chow only diet, and allowed minimal physical activity, to see what kind of shape they were in and how much exercise they would require to get into shape. "Now, I want the boys on the end to my left to take one giant step to your right. Then all of you should stretch your arms out and move to your left until only your fingertips touch." While Mark watched the boys align themselves, he looked over his shoulder and saw Danny and the other young boys trying to follow his directions. They didn't do too well following his directions, but they were very good at copying what the older boys did. The older boys were quiet and somber while Danny and his group couldn't stop laughing. "Boys," Mark began, trying to invoke a tone of caring, "what we are going to do here is a series of physical exercises. The purpose is to determine what kind of physical condition you're in and what we can do to get you where you should be for good health. Now, it's important for you to understand that there is no goal or set number of repetitions that you must complete. All I'm going to ask is that when you think you've reached your limit, tell yourself that you can do just a little bit more. Push yourself, be honest with yourself, and let us help you reach the point that you can play sports, have fun and be healthy. "For a warm-up exercise . . . .oh, first let's count off. Begin at me left and each boy call out his number down the line." Mark watched as the boys counted off. Mark listened as the little ones counted off, sounding like an echo. He spotted two of the young boys change places in line because they didn't like their number. "Now, I want all of the even numbers to take one step forward." After the boys stepped forward, Mark couldn't resist looking at the young ones; they were still trying to decide who should take a step forward. Finally about half the boys stepped forward, some standing side by side. "Now, everyone hold their arms straight out, palms up. Then rotate your arms forward in small circles. You don't have to spin them real fast, just keep them rotating. Now, stop and reverse the direction of rotation. Good, stop and let your arms fall to your sides and shake them out." Mark could hear the young guys still giggling at what they thought was a silly thing to be doing. "Now, we are going to do some pushups. Everyone squat down and place your palms flat on the ground, then kick your legs back. I want you to do the pushups following my voice commands. When you push up, do not lock your arms in place, leave the elbows slightly bent. If you reach the point that you cannot do anymore, then stand up and wait for the others." Mark stood in front of the boys, watching closely as the boys followed his directions. As expected, it didn't take long for the grunts and strains to be heard. These boys had been pleasure boys, kept in shape only enough to be attractive and not put on any fat. They had muscles that had not been used or exercised as they should since being enslaved. Mark noticed a few faces turning red, a grimace here and there. He wondered who would stand first, but then realized that none of the boys wanted to be the first. Before one of the boys had to embarrass himself, Mark called for a rest. "Okay, guys, you did real well with the pushups. Now, I want you to shake it out and take a couple of deep breaths while I show you the next exercise, jumping jacks." When the boys began the exercise, the young ones did not have the required coordination and only jumped up and down. The screams of laughter let everyone know the young ones thought jumping up and down was fun. They jumped as though they had springs in their legs. To add to the fun they managed to spin in circles as they jumped. As Danny jumped, he looked over and saw Daniel watching them. Danny immediately broke into a dead run for Daniel. As usual, when he was just a few feet from Daniel, Danny made a flying leap and landed in Daniel's arms. "Little man, what are you going to do if one day I miss catching you?" Danny just gave Daniel a 'no way' look as though Daniel had expressed the most absurd thought anyone could possibly have. "Who's jack?" Danny asked. "Jack?" Daniel responded. "Did you meet a boy named Jack?" Daniel didn't understand what Danny was asking about. "Noooooo. Mr. Mark said we was gonna jumpin' jack. What'd he mean? Who's Jack?" "Jack is the man that invented that exercise. It looked like you were having fun doing it." "Yeah," Danny answered as his attention was drawn to a man approaching them. "Daniel, can we talk a moment?" Daniel turned to see the South American ambassador. "I bet this is Danny that I've heard so much about," the ambassador stated, causing Danny to act bashful. "Since when have you been bashful?" Daniel asked. "Can't you be polite and say 'hi'?" "Hi," Danny said with a smile. "Hi, yourself, young man. I think I can tell who you're partial to." Danny gave out a slight giggle as the man stuck a finger in his ribs. Danny then tightened his grip around Daniel's neck. "Can I help you ambassador?" Daniel asked, trying to direct the ambassador's attention to the reason he had approached. "Yes, there is something I need to tell you. Assuming we get all this worked out, the two youngest boys that you have had with you have told the chief and high priest about the two boys that have cared for them. The boys want to honor the young twins' protectors by adopting them as brothers. I wanted to let you know and be sure you understood that adopting them as brothers in the Maya family is an exceptionally high honor and rarely done. The chief didn't give them an answer other than to say he would take it under consideration." Daniel paused before answering; remembering what the chief had already explained about many of the Maya rituals. "Do you have any idea what the ritual may be? Understand that if the offer is made, it will be the boys' decision, not mine. I want the boys to know what they would be facing." "I'm not familiar with the ritual," the ambassador confessed. "However, I feel confident in saying that no physical harm would come to the boys. From things that I have heard about rituals surrounding events of this caliber, there may be a long preparation period." "Long? How long?" "Possibly I should have just suggested that we ask the chief or the priest. If I can, I will speak to one of them privately and attempt to get you some correct answers." Daniel nodded his head in response as both men observed Hendrix and the governor approaching. "Mr. Ambassador, Daniel," Hendrix said greeting the men and then noticed Danny. "Danny, my boy," the governor said, addressing Danny, "we saw you doing exercises with the other boys. You were good." Danny's only response was to blush. "Danny, why don't you go play while we adults do something exciting like go inside and sit at the table and talk?" Daniel asked while he gave the boy a big hug and set him down. "He's quite a boy, Daniel," the governor commented. "Yeah, he is special. All the boys are special to me, but there's just something a little extra special about Danny. It wouldn't be the same without him." "Daniel, I know it's getting a little crowded here and you'd like to get the boys home, but there's a favor I want to ask." Daniel just observed the governor, waiting for him to finish. "I'd like to call in some members of the legislature that represent this area and the area where we found the boys. If our research is correct, I think it's time for them to learn some distasteful facts." End Ch 114 To Be Continued Comments welcome: contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com