Complicit Simplicity Eleven

Jon was enjoying driving the squiggles as the road meandered away from the border. The van's sound system did wonderful things with Renaissance music, accompanying pine trees flowing past the windows in natural harmony. "I haven't seen any refugees for several miles, they all seem packed into the forest close to the custom station. If they are in this area they are traveling away from the road."

Gloria seemed to agree, "Jon, if the gangs are getting stronger, perhaps we should slowdown going around blind corners and over hills, there is no reason to rush into an ambush."

"I agree, we could also get off the main road occasionally and perhaps bypass some troubles. There is a marsh bordering a lake ahead, I could float the van over them at about 20 miles per hour, we would bypass a lot of forest that way."

"No," Gloria reasoned, "we should be safe enough if we encounter a gang, and perhaps we might learn something. Pahl's border patrol is not the best source for unbiased information, I would like to confirm if these gangs are as dangerous as reported. Of course we may not encounter anyone before we leave the forest."

She looked over her shoulder at Mose. "If we do get attacked, Jon and my windows roll down, your's slide sideways like self actuated arrow slits. Return fire as you deem necessary. We will let the van's passive systems play defense. Jon and I will expose ourselves only if extra firepower is needed."

Mose nodded with a smile, "I can't deny I would like a shoot out with Pahl the princling, but these outlaws deserve a chance to talk first." He then addressed her unspoken request, "I'll do what's necessary and no more, you know me that well."

Mose was quietly thoughtful before he spoke again. "That is another reason for me to return to Elldee, preventing a shoot out with Prince Pahl. I've kept contact with several groups that want to find freedom here, but are thinking the wrong way. They feel that if they can assassinate Pahl and Scar their troubles will be over. I've been working to convince them that another elitist will take over, use the same system, and use new words to mean the same despotism. While people wait to evaluate the new leader momentum the groups have gained toward liberty will be lost. We need to replace the system, the unjust will then leave like wasps seeking a new nest. It's helpful we have a working system like FLC to explain the niceties of how freedom works."

Gloria looked at Mose like he had won just the Bastiat prize. "these groups, are they a possible backbone for Elldee's transition?"

"More like vocal chords than backbone, they will spread news of their success when we bring down the bureaucracy. Let them have the credit and statues, let the people regain their natural rights as humans. If we succeed no one needs to know we were here."

Jon threw back a statement that had a smile in it. "Then we can move on to the next dictator."

Mose suddenly didn't sound so confident, "I may stay here, Elldee was my home. I think I can find satisfaction helping individuals freed from a survival fight to discover pursuit of happiness. In a free market no trade happens unless both parties think they win - for me satisfaction and happiness are big wins."

Conversation drifted into favored hacktivism techniques until they reached a large meadow. Standing next to the road, a half mile from the resumption of forest, was an elderly scarecrow of a man, signaling for them to stop.

"Pull up to him carefully Jon, so I can talk to him." Gloria directed "The two of you be ready in case there is an ambush of some sort tunneled under the tall grass. I don't thing mere gangs would be sophisticated enough to do the unexpected, but we don't know their true relationship to Pahl."

The compatriots concerns were eased when Gloria rolled down her window next to the poorly dressed and painfully thin elder. Neither Gloria nor the elder spoke for a minute or two, each seemingly waiting to analyze the other's initiative. The elder finally spoke first, "Ahhem, well then; You look like a friend of mine, but Maria would have given me a hug by now."

"I have a cousin named Maria, she is careful who she hugs. If she is the same Maria you know, you must be good friends."

"She and I have shared some interesting times, during visits at conventions and at artists retreats. For her sake I will warn you that there is an ambush awaiting you about a mile into the far forest. There is a tree dropped down across the road, around a corner, in a heavily forested area. You can avoid an attack by using an old logging road you will find by crossing this meadow."

"Why are you here? Surely you don't need to hang around just to warn an occasional Uncommercial Traveler?"

"That's rather direct, but I can see the need for caution. I'm not here to misdirect you into danger on the logging road, or from risks you are probably prepared to handle. Rather, I've been following the gang, with survivors of a village they destroyed, to try to find a way to recapture the children they have taken."

"You have your own fighting force then?"

"That would be quite the complement to a bunch of old men and women that were off gathering when the outlaws attacked." We can't take on an armed gang anymore than the unarmed villagers could defend themselves when the gang attacked - it was a brutal butchery. We just hope for a reasonable opportunity to try."

"Do you know how the gang members are situated?"

"Quite simply. The leader and his strongest two fighters are hidden behind the tree, there are five or six other gang members in the woods on either side of the road hidden in the forest. When I left there was a gangster on the right with an old fashioned rifle, there was no evidence of its use in the village, so there may be little ammunition for it. There are two back further in the woods with the children, these guards have sidearms, but they tend to use clubs and whip branches when driving the children."

"How many children, and how old are they?"

"Over twenty, most ranging in age from about six to ten years old, any other children were killed, although a we did rescue a few they left for dead." The gaffer shook a bit, but continued on. "They did take one pretty four year old girl - my granddaughter."

"What of the ambushers weapons?" They all have energy weapons, although most also carry knives or machetes. Some of the energy weapons may not be charged, these are treated more like jewelry than weapons. There may be other outlaws about, we think they are headed to a permanent camp."

"If we engage the ambush, will your group be able to protect and free the children?"

"We are already as close as we can get, give us a distraction and we'll try. We may be old warriors and grandmas, but we will not hesitate. We've make plans each time the gang stops, hoping for a chance to attack successfully."

"Would you like to ride with us, we will go up and talk to these outlaws, if talk they will. otherwise we will engage the ambush."

"Can you give me an hour to get back to my group, I'd like to join in the freeing of the children."

Gloria smiled encouragingly, "This Meadow looks like a nice place for a picnic. We will move a bit further forward and rest for an hour or so, that may frustrate the gang into making a mistake. May we meet again, and perhaps then I will also want to give you a hug."

"And I a hug to you -- Maria's cousin."

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Every Crack In the Sidewalk

""Our knowledge is so limited, our abilities seem so inadequate, most people see themselves as small insects.

They cope by being serious about whatever crack in the sidewalk they were born into.

Ignoring limitless potential within a wondrous world, they cling to the security of their limited crack.

Crawl out of the crack, take a few steps down the sidewalk, then decide where you want to fly."

Allan R. Wallace





"Leave paths that force you to walk in the wrong direction." - Allan Wallace





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