Solomon's Private File #42
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 15 in this story, in the Spring of 2041.
Solomon's Private File #42 "The Castle"
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We all met in the Smithsonian's main building, called The Castle. I
did the introductions, including the CNN crew. I said to Don, "I'm glad
you could be in on this. Your experience in interrogating my family
will be useful. Do it." He grinned widely, and nodded. I said to all,
"A warning. My appearance might change when I talk about different
people." Sharon nodded and said, "Nothing illustrates like er,
illustrations." I said, "When that happens, if you ask me questions on
that subject, I might answer like my changed appearance would have. All
of you can ask questions, and all of you can try to answer them. Maybe
not all at once, though. Unless you've been in a chorus. Did you know
the ancient Greeks actually did that?" Beth said, "They talked in a
chorus?" I said, "A lot of the plays they put on were a little hard to
figure out for the audience. So every once in a while, a little group
of people would pop up and sing an explanation. That technique is still
used today sometimes. Want to guess what it's called?" Brain said, "A
Greek Chorus?" I said, "Hmm, too easy, that one." We grinned at each
other.
I said, "Also, I might illustrate things by active illusion. Maybe
big ones at times, so one camera should be back for the wider angle."
Sharon said, "That will be terrific! Your father did that. Amazing!" I
said, "If your eyes pop out, I'll try to catch them for you." Chuckles.
I said, "I'll choose the order of the museums we visit, which should be
the order they are presented to the public. Exterior shots you can do
on your own. Can't do them at night without better lighting, and if I
provide that, well, there could be a little excitement from Homeland
Security we would do better to avoid." The producer grinned and nodded.
I said, "I'll start when you're ready." When they were, I said on
camera where we were, and some of the history of the building, and
introduced who would be on camera. I said, "But how it came about that
there is a Smithsonian Institution here in America, is as strange as
some of the exhibits. He was of the English nobility, a Fellow of the
Royal Society for his many scientific accomplishments. He was very good
with money, and had a fortune when he died. His Will was unusual. He
gave his money to his nephew, with the order that if the nephew died
without children, the money would go 'to the United States of America,
to found at Washington, an establishment for the increase and diffusion
of knowledge among men.' That's what happened. What we don't know, is
why he did it that way. We know he wanted his name to be remembered for
all time for what he said in his Will, but why did he risk that strong
desire not happening, based on whether his nephew had children or not?
He wasn't somebody who would leave something like that to chance. What
did he know, that made that risk not really a risk? Much of what could
have told us that, his diaries, burned in a fire. So, now we start this
journey though the Smithsonian Institute Museums, with a mystery we are
unable to solve. By Act of Congress, This is our National Museum. Yes,
OURS, for us. What is important to us as a nation, as a people, as
individual cultures, our natural history and our written history, is
here for us, to help is to know who we are, who we were, where we came
from, and maybe, where we're going, or can be going. It's all here for
us to learn from, so, let us do just that."
At Dad's Gem Castle in the Information Center, I said, "My father,
Stephen, was the illustrator here for a time. One day at home, on a
whim, he decided to give the Director, who is here with us now, a gift.
He made this miniature Castle sculpture, and put it on a big wheeled
said, "Yes! He ported it to my office while I was in it, without
warning. It's not a big office. It took me quite a while to maneuver
that thing through the door, just so I could get out." I said, "I'd bet
that your comments during that time might have been good for paint
removing?" She said, "I was NOT paying attention to the condition of
the walls!" Chuckles. I said, "I don't know if anybody looked, but the
miniature is surprisingly accurate. And not just on the outside." Beth
said, "Like a doll house?" I said, "Well, like a doll castle, yes. Want
to see?" Brian said, "Yes!" I said, "Anything specific?" He said, "I
have to know. Is there a miniature of the Castle in the Castle?" I
said, "It would be interesting if there were. But when he made the
miniature, it wasn't in the Castle then. So, opinions?" Sharon said, "I
knew him. I'm sure it's there in my office. And if he could have, he
would have put me in there, too." I said to the camera, "Now we know
why she's the Director. Smart!" I said, "So, let's see it in cross
section, through right here. Don't worry, it's just a projected image
of what I can see. I didn't damage anything. Let's enlarge a selected
portion. More. Some more." Sharon let out a screech, and said, "He did
it!" Beth looked closely, and said, "Did you really look like that
then?" Sharon said, "I don't remember, but I wouldn't doubt it." I said
to her, "And you thought I was going to be the entertaining one here."
She laughed.
We toured the other rooms and halls. There was some humor, when I
told about some of the pieces there, and there were good questions, but
nothing really funny or outrageous. Then it was over. I said to the
group, "Comments? Critiques? Impolite noises?" Chuckles. Don said, "No
outrageous comments." I said, "As if YOU can't make some?" He said, "I
think I understand. You want to have something to work with." I said,
be more than just lumps of rocks. We shouldn't take Sol for granite."
We groaned and chuckled. I said, "And you had to wait until the camera
is off. Well, there are other museums. This was the bait to catch the
viewer's interest. For us, just the er, wormup." More groans and some
laughter. I said, "Yes. Reely!" Sharon looked ready to spank me. I
said, "I'll see you all at the next museum. Brian, Beth, ready to be
ported home?" We all hugged each other, and then I sent them home. I
did it to the CNN crew, too. I said to Sharon, "I didn't have much
material here to be funny off of, but you did. Thanks." She said,
"Don't mention it. REALLY don't mention it." We grinned at each other.
The Navajo Council wanted everybody to have the dream memory. I said
to them, "No. That one was for those er, lost boys. It wouldn't fit
right for girls, and there are age differences to consider, and
backgrounds and temperaments, too. There should be a custom dream for
each individual." The President said, "That would entail a lot of work.
Continuous work, for as long as the Navajo exist." I said, "As you
think of it, yes. But, I gave them, each of them, slightly different
dreams at the same time, and to you, too." She said "You could do it to
all of us at once?" I said, "I don't know, but I think I can't do it
well to those who aren't yet conceived, and after I am dead. But there
is more than one way to plant a seed." She smiled at the slight pun. I
said, "Each household shall have a sacred box. In that sealed box is a
strange thing that contains many different Journeys of the Spirit
recordings. It will also contain a judgement control, that will examine
the people in the household, and judge what kind of dream they should
have, and when, including how often, and give them that dream. The
Dream of Adulthood will also give them an eagle feather. This box
cannot be turned off or broken, but it can be shielded so it won't
activate, with layers of natural cloth and metal foil. Comments?" One
said, "You won't be doing it personally?" I said, "I could, but are all
the Navajo available for it? Does anybody know where all are, some of
whom don't even consider themselves actual Navajo now? And what about
after I'm gone? Is it good to change things then? For a long time, we
have existed without the ability to do this for our people. That time
may come again. I would like to insure the Navajo survive that." He
nodded. The President said, "Can some of us experience all the dreams
before we agree to this?" I grinned and said, "I wouldn't do this if
you had not asked that." She grinned back, and said, "You are wise, Sun
Man."
I bowed my thanks. I said, "Here is a master sample box. The controls
are labeled. Reasonable suggestions are welcome from ONE person. Well,
I have only one set of ears. I figure if one person has to hear all the
suggestions of a multitude, it should be somebody else, who could then
only tell me what they are able to." She grinned even wider, and said,
"VERY wise. Unfortunately." I said, "All the dreams are traditional. I
won't do anything of the modern world in it. That's what schools are
for. The time in history is of just after the Europeans arrived, and we
have some of their horses, and not a lot of problems with their people.
Except with those few funny men with hair on their faces, really
sweating in those strange brown robes, talking about lines in something
that burns well. We asked for more of those things, because they were
really good for helping to start our fires. We stopped doing that in
front of them, because they acted very strangely then. Not the kind of
singing and dancing we were used to." They laughed well. I said, "Er,
thanks. You know what Hawk is doing." More laughter.
Dr. Hanto said, "That's valuable information! We don't have first
hand accounts of our history from that long ago." I said, "That's
because we didn't write much down." He said, "We had a written
language?" I said, "Nope. That was the problem." He said in some
frustration, "I should have remembered your personal er,
eccentricities." I said, "Diplomatic. Nice. We didn't need to write
things down. We remembered. It was our duty to keep important memories
alive from one generation to the next. That worked well for thousands
of years. Until smallpox wiped out practically all our elders. We never
knew what caused it, except that we were cursed. The land didn't want
us. We couldn't figure out why, until one day, somebody said, 'Those
white eyes are not of the land. See what they do to it! They brought
the curse down upon us!' Some of us believed that, mostly the old
Shamans and the newly made adults. Some fought, but the enemy had guns.
Then we had them, but couldn't make them work. Too many died. We could
no longer fight. We struggled to maintain our ways, and gradually we
succeeded, with some changes, including trade. The rest of our history
was made and recorded by others."
There were a lot of sad nods. I said, "I was a relatively young
Shaman when the disease took our best, including my teacher. I was
against attacking the white eyes. I knew they were too powerful to
overcome. I tried to convince our young people not to kill them, so in
their rage, they attacked me. I survived that, with help, but I never
walked without pain, the rest of my very long life. The young people
who survived their rash actions came to me for forgiveness, which I
gave them. Whatever they had done, they were still the future of our
people. Unfortunately, my only apprentice died in the attacks. I think
much of my knowledge didn't survive my death, despite my efforts to see
that it continued." There was not a dry eye in the Chamber. I said,
"Now you know something of why we who remember past lives, don't want
to. It hurts. A lot. Let me know your decisions on the Spirit Box
proposal. I need to go now."
I ported home to Mom and Hawk, who hugged and kissed me with love.
Then I said, "Jeremy died. Dex needs me." They let me go, and Mom wiped
my face. I ported to the summer camp residence. I went in. Dex was
alone. The ambulance had already left. We hugged and cried. He said, "I
knew you would come. He just stopped. We were lying in bed and talking.
He just stopped. I tried CPR, but it didn't work." I said, "It was his
time. I wish I could have given him a new watch." He said, "What? Oh.
That's right. You're really odd, but in a nice way." I said, "Er,
thanks. I think if he could choose how, this might have been one of the
top choices." He said, "True. I didn't think it would make it better,
but it does. So you really are a Rabbi?" I said, "Yes, and I even have
some accents I can use." He smiled a little, and said, "Good. Always be
prepared." We hugged for a long while.
I said, "Did you plan on starving?" He said, "Not immediately, no.
Right. Let's go get something to eat. Then I have to clean the
bedroom." I said, "No, you don't. I'll do it." He said, "I didn't
realize what actually happens when somebody dies." I said, "In a way,
it's good that dead people don't have to live through that." He looked
at me strangely, and then grinned. He said, "Funny way you sneak wisdom
in sideways. I can appreciate that now more than before." I said, "Some
of my victims say that." He said, "And the others?" I said, "Some are
reacting too er, loudly, and for some I have to discourage personal
violence." He said, "I don't doubt that. Your camp rule was a big hit."
I said, "I discovered it was so in a lot of places. Embarrassing." He
said, "And your needing the towel wasn't." I said, "Right.
Serendipitously helped me to become a Jew." He laughed loudly,
partially in release of tension. I said, "True. Kids reported to the
Rabbi that I qualified." He said, "You're amazing!" I said, "Well, you
can't always get everything right. I'm Sol." He laughed some more. We
had something to eat.
I said, "I know of a problem you might be able to help with until
camp starts." He said, "You think I should still run it?" I said, "You
know you would like to. It's work, but it's fun, too." He nodded. I
said, "You know we'll give you all the help you need, and maybe some
you don't." He chuckled. I said, "My foster home during the school
year. Until recently, we only had four kids at a time. Now we're
practically bursting with them. Our parents were childhood friends of
the first Stephen." He said, "I see. Very old. They do need help." I
said, "I try, but I have a lot of other duties that take up a lot of
time." He grinned and said, "I've heard about some of them. Really
sharp wit!" I poked him, and he poked me back, and we wrestled a
little. I said, "Naturist home. Flagpoles not an issue." That made him
how old?" I said, "One way, 15. Another, over a hundred. Added all up,
thousands. And how old where you when Dad hooked you up?" He said,
"Shut up and undress." We did, and we squirted very well.
We sealed up the house. I said, "I'll keep a watch on it." He said,
"Thanks." I said, "You know, you can't be messing with your kids." He
said, "Already knew that." I said, "But, I'm the boss of everything,
and I am REALLY available for you." He said with a smile, "Like father,
like son." I said, "In this way, a little. But HE never made his own
father squirt his guts out, like I did." He stared at me and said, "You
DID?" I said, "Sure did. He had a technique that combines his love with
PK. Feels like you are being brushed with highly erotic fur. I showed
him I was better at it. Made us both squirt in seconds. Oh. Well,
alright." He laughed, and we went back upstairs, and I showed him. He
almost fainted at the end. I said, "I haven't done that much with my
er, mates in our sexplay. Could be a dick ah, tive." He had to laugh.
I had already talked about my proposal with Mac and Tim, and Mom,
Hawk, Pete, Chad, and Ed, via contact. They all liked it. I said to
Dex, "Anything you want with you, I'll port or duplicate. Or make
something new. A solid gold bed, no. Too heavy for the floor." He said,
"You would have done it?" I said, "Sure. Why not?" He said, "Wow!" I
said, "Wouldn't work for turning it in for cash. Wouldn't exactly fit
in your pocket." Another poke. I said, "Salary, I don't know, but you
know it will be more than fair, and that's not including all the hugs
and kisses you'll get. There's a whole lot of love flowing around
there." We hugged and kissed. He told me the things he wanted to have
with him, and I duplicated them in his new room. I said, "Ed is your
assistant. He's a rescue student, so that's the only home and family he
has. He's the oldest, and had to do a lot of what you will be doing,
along with his teaching as one of MY assistants."
He said, "You're a teacher already?" I said, "Since I was ten, yes.
Had to be. They tried me out, and found I had a talent for it, and
really connected with the kids. I'm the full son of the two best Adepts
in our history, and the first to be raised by Adepts. That gave me a
whole bunch of legs up on all the other students. There are more what
we call Double Adept students now, which only I, from my own
experience, can fully understand." He nodded, and said, "I can see why
that would be so." I said, "And one more thing. My father has children
from his donated sperm, and he made his abilities genetically dominant.
Yes, they're like me in ability, and I was so strong, that only my
father could teach me some important things. So, I have to do it for
his other kids. And I've invented some new things to teach, and the
methods, that I also have to do. So I'm VERY busy. All those Double and
S Kids, got dumped into my foster home. Guess why?" He said, "Right.
Only you could handle them." I said, "Yes, until I strain, er, train,
my assistants. Next year, I hope to only be supervising then. Got a lot
of research in the works." Chuckles.
He said, "So you really do need my help." I said, "Absolutely! But
only if you want to." A big kiss and hug, settled that. I ported him to
his new room, and he undressed. I was there when he came out, and he
was mobbed with a lot of hugs and kisses from everybody. After they let
him go, he said, "Wow!" We all said together, "We hear that a lot!"
Then we all laughed.
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Grant
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