The CAP: The Morning After The Night Before....
by AC-Bt
The Morning After The Night Before....
“Dom?” Bt questioned as she rolled against an unexpected body blocking her quick
exit from the bed. “You’d better move, man,” she continued trying
unsuccessfully to climb over the snoring hulk, “If you don’t, you’re gonna
be sorry ‘cause I’m about to be very sick.”
“Thunk!” the Engineer hit the floor with an able assist from Bt’s left
foot. In a remarkable display of desperation induced agility she jumped over him and made
a dash for the door. She was followed closely by the now wide awake and also suddenly
indisposed builder.
Later, after both had settled their stomachs with tea and toast they sat quietly on the
porch talking about the incredible experience they’d both been through. It was not
until HoD had released them all for the party that Bt had realized The Engineer had been
caught in the general lurker and occasional reader slaughter. Since this was the first
time he’d experienced HoD’s particular way of celebrating Halloween he was still
a little shaken by the experience.
“So where were you?” He questioned. “There I was stuck in a cell with a
bunch of kids wearing red shirts, crying and carrying on about how their folks
wouldn’t even be looking for them ‘cause they’d installed some kind of chip
in their lurking machines and thought the kids were in a safe place. The kids being kids
had soon figured out a way to by-pass the chip and join in the Deb U fun even if they
didn’t have the nerve to let anyone know they were there. I spent the whole time
wiping their noses and patting them on the head and telling them they’d be
okay.”
“You ended up as baby-sitter for the red shirts?” Bt said laughing. “Poor
Dom! That is a terrible fate.”
“Well, I hope you used your time more productively.” he replied with a mock
scowl.
“You mean talking to the Chancellors?” Bt said and then continued, “Yes and
no, I guess.”
“I did get to talk to them in-between them trying every way possible to break out,
including sawing a couple of CAs in little pieces and pushing them through the bars. I
think they are agreeable to the plan. At least they seemed to be while in captivity. That
could change now that they are back and everything is as it was. Later today I’ll get
several of the plotters together and we’ll go talk to them and see if we can work
something out.”
“The building is almost finished, Or at least it was before your buddy HoD blew the
campus up. You’d better get things straightened out soon, Bt.” The Engineer
replied thoughtfully.
Bt’s morning was taken up with checking to be sure school records, especially those
in the AP department, came through HoD’s explosion and reassemble process in good
order but she did take time to send Orlena and ‘Shana with messages to the Deb U
Council members requesting their attendance at a meeting later in the day.
“Kel, Panthea and Pelagos are all right, aren’t they?” Bt questioned as her
daughter entered the room?”
“They’re fine, Mom,” Kel replied. “I was a little worried when I
didn’t see them with the other animals at HoD’s but evidently he had made
special arrangements for all the animal friends during the festivities.”
“That’s a relief.” Bt said quietly. She knew many of those taken to
HoD’s castle had been worried about their special friends.
Checking one more worry off her list, Bt looked over the assembled chancellors and
assistants to be sure all had responded to her messages. Even Nanaea was present, although
Bt was secretly sure Nydiva had lured her out of the vault with a special plate of
cookies. Poor Nan, had been very concerned that the vault and its contents might have been
damaged in the blast. “Let’s get started.” Bt said, with what she hoped was
the right mixture of authority and kindly mentor tone in her voice.
“Bt,” Astraea questioned, “Does this have something to do with the
proposition you presented us with when we were with HoD?”
Leave it to Asty to get right to the heart of the matter! “Yes, it does,” Bt
replied in a neutral tone. “Have you had time to consider it and talk it over?”
“We have,” Nan replied not waiting for Asty to respond, “And, we are
agreeable to the suggestion. Deb U needs leadership that is present on campus and involved
in the day to day operation of the school. We,” She gestured to indicate Astraea and
herself, “Cannot supply that leadership at this time. We,” She gestured to
include all the Chancellors, “Feel it is time for us to retire and make room for new
leaders.”
“We do ask,” Astraea added, in that very firm tone of voice she uses when she is
dead serious, “That Nanaea and I be granted the title ‘Deb U Founder’. We
were, after all, the ones who began this school. That, quarters provided for us in the
Chancellor’s Retirement Mansion, a small pension,” Nan’s eyes lit up at
that addition, “And a seat on the Deb U council so we can still have a voice in the
operation of the school we founded. If you can agree to these stipulations, we will
formally request retirement now.”
Bt let a sigh escape her lips. This was what she and the other assistants had been waiting
to hear. With just the formality of a vote by the council it would be all over. The
planning the plotting, the bribery of the gods and heroes and they’d pulled it off!
They’d actually taken charge of Deb U and without the big battle or the casualties
she’s secretly feared would be the result of their plot. Pulling herself back from
her silent moment of triumph, Bt, the practical one, turned her mind back to the necessity
of cleaning up the last details and being sure there were no lasting grudges or hurts
harbored by any of those gathered in the room.
“Thank you Nanaea and Astraea!” Bt said, her voice trembling with emotion. And
then getting control of herself, “I believe all Deb U Council members are
present,” she said glancing around the table, “And I believe it is
LdyPegasus’ turn to chair the meeting. Peg, would you take over?” A nod from Peg
indicated her approval. “Thank you,” Bt continued. “I move that the Deb U
Council accept the request for retirement from Chancellors Astraea and Nanaea and in
addition we grant them a generous pension, quarters in the Retirement Mansion, a seat on
the Deb U Council and the title ‘Founder of Deb U’.”
Keleos and Nydiva spoke at almost the same time to second the motion. The vote was
unanimous as every hand at the table was raised to vote yes.
“Motion carried!” Peg said and tried to gavel the meeting closed. But, everyone
had jumped up from their chairs to wish the two newly retired chancellors a happy
retirement and thank them for all they had done for the school over the years.
As everyone began to file out of the room, LdyPegasus stood, gavel still in hand, next to
the table, “Wait a minute! What do we do now? Are we supposed to just run with two
chancellors? Should we pick new ones to replace Asty and Nan? Come on back guys,we’ve
still got a lot of work to do and a lot of decisions to make.”
~~~~~~
Bt
Stay tuned for more developments!
Posted on Nov 04 1999, 08:00 AM
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