Bill Bird Love Story Hidden Gifts
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Transcript of Bill Bird Love Story Hidden Gifts
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Table of Contents
1 Setting Scenes ......................................... 2
2 Flash Back .................................................. 18
3 Atmospherics............................................. 29
4 Mysterious Fliers...................................... 35
5 Rusty............................................................. 45
6 An Offer of Flight.................................... 59
7 Judith.......................................................... 69
8 Simulations ............................................... 78
9 A Conversation with Judith ................. 88
10 Learning to Crawl .................................... 96
11 Learning to Trust ................................... 104
12 The Secret .............................................. 114
13 Running ...................................................... 125
14 Kites ........................................................... 133
15 Dropping the Harness ........................... 141
16 First Flight ................................................ 150
17 Livvy Takes some Knocks ...................... 16218 The Citadel ............................................... 180
19 The Meeting ............................................ 189
20 An Aura in the Sky ................................ 201
21 Caught ....................................................... 212
22 The Test .................................................. 219
23 The unexpected Guest ......................... 230
24 Further Developments ........................ 239
25 Early one Morning .................................. 249
26 North Sea Nightmare ........................... 258
27 Angels ......................................................... 268
28 Reviews and memories ........................... 280
29 Marine Adventures ................................. 29730 The Conference ............................................. 31131 Darius ............................................................ 328
32 The Strike ................................................. 350
33 The Flier .................................................... 368
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34 False Conclusions .................................... 381
35 Airport Emergency ................................. 396
36 Knife Edge Sample .................................. 407
37 Epilogue ...................................................... 418
Hidden Gifts(fifth draft)
Chapter 1Setting Scenes
Although there was no snow or even frost, the intense cold was
unmistakable. Indeed, even if the scene were viewed casually out through a
window, say from a warm caf or out of a busy city office, the freezing
temperature outside would still have had an immediate impact. It wasnt as
though the cold air could be seen as such, although the breath of the people rose
up like steam everywhere, it was the behaviour of the people themselves which
characterised the scene with an arctic flavour.
Judith was relatively warm as she stood on the pavement taking in the
demeanour of the passing people. She was unashamedly wearing a fur coat. In
this weather, accusing, disapproving glares were all but absent from the crowd
around her. This was no time to be thinking of animal rights. She also had her
hands clasped inside a fur muff, and a fur hat graced her head; these three items
were a relic of her youth several decades before indeed so long a time before,
that the welfare of animals were then not a consideration. Now pulled out from
the wardrobe of her London flat; if they were not a Godsend they were certainly
a precious gift from those long gone, forlorn creatures.
On this occasion, the biting Siberian air which had swept across London, wasalso a precious gift for her. She had been searching for the man from Moscow
for months now. He was so well burrowed into the fabric of the City life -
possibly having arrived years before - that even her penetrating perceptions hadfailed to pick him out. The sudden cold snap had hit the city six hours before
just as the people were waking for their working day. The idea had come to herin a dream in the early hours of that very morning, even as the numbing cold
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was sliding its icy fingers up the Thames Estuary towards the sleeping millions
of Greater London.
It had been a dream about a fish. It was a clever fish who had come out of the
water and disguised herself as girl in a school and nobody knew what was
happening as she made the other children forget their books and lose their pens
and get ink from the dark blue pots onto their fingers nobody knew that is
until one day, it rained. The rain came down in torrents and everywhere got wetincluding all the children. That touch of water caught the fish unawares and it
brought out her fishiness not so much fishiness that anybody else noticed
but Judith did.
At that moment in the vision she had been wakened by her alarm. She was
more puzzled than enlightened by any potential meaning in the dream. Puzzled
that is, until she turned on the radio. Her thoughts - even at that time of the day
on the man from Moscow who was so well hidden - suddenly came alive when
she heard the weather warning. A mass of air from Russia.
A mass of air from Russia, and she was looking for a Russian!
Judith got up and began to move about in her flat. She washed and dressed
and had a light breakfast. There was nothing in her flat that wasnt useful, and
everything that was there was carefully placed in a known position. This was soimportant, that Judith would invite no-one into her flat except her trusted
cleaner for fear that any other person might casually but annoyingly move
something so that Judith would have to spend many precious moments, feeling
around for it. Judith was blind. Judith was blind to visible light. However, since
her youth, something else had begun to make use of the sensation starved visual
cortex of her mind. That something else was her warm and generous heart.
Somehow her heart had found its way into her mind and discovered a vast,
unused playground there a playground which - had she not been blind - would
have been filled to capacity with gathering, holding and processing visual
images of the world outside. As it was, the playground was empty, void,
deserted, unused so her heart began to play. It played with the auras of all the
living things around her. It played with the auras of both plants and animals. Itplayed with the auras of mosses and lichens right through to the vivid, complex
auras and atmospheres of the people around her. Her heart played with these
auras and occupied its time painting them as visual images onto the empty blank
canvas of her mind. Soon, the young Judith began to piece together a world
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about her A world made not of images from the light reflected off of things, but
made from images coming from the internal light within the living things
themselves.
Only living things revealed themselves to her in this way. So as Judith
moved about her flat, the only things that she could see was the auras of her
house plants. Now Judith - having nothing in her flat that was not useful - found
that these plants were very useful, indeed essential to her. PhilodendronScanlens draped the walls by her doors, pushing tendrils out over the door
panels so that she could find them with ease and tell if they were open or closed.
A mother of thousands hung in front of each window, so that its shimmering
essence could be perceived by her, moving in the breeze if the window was
open. A tradescantias here, an ivy there, a spider plant in the corner, all located
essential geography and pieces of furniture in the three spacious rooms. All
were easy to care for plants, for their health was important to her and of
course their auras would tell her if they were dry or in need of a drop of food in
their water.
The thought of the cold soon to arrive outside had brought the memory of the
fur coat. She had rummaged in the wardrobe and found it. It still had the faint
aura of the animals from which it had been made even after so many decadesand it was this that had made her keep it, despite her unease with its origins. She
put it on and found the muff and hat as well. She was glad of them as soon as
she stepped out onto the pavement, so penetrating and icy had the air already
become.
She began to walk the streets of the City looking for the Russian. She had a
two-way radio slung over her shoulder hanging by her side and under her coat.
It felt solid and heavy, Although there were now much smaller and lighter ones
that did the same job, she felt more secure and comfortable with the weight of
this piece of 1950s technology. The aerial was a fine wire built into the strap
and the earpiece and microphone ran up under her collar and into her neatly cut,
full head of intensely white hair, to emerge by her ear. She spoke briefly to her
superior, Craig and told him of her plans as she began her search.Six hours later she was still there. She had walked for miles within the
square mile following the flow of the auras of the people. This was the only
way that she could tell where the pavements and streets were. If the auras were
walking freely and easily, she knew she could walk in the same path safely. If
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the auras paused and took on a slight question of safety, she knew she was
coming to a road junction. She would always choose to follow the aura of
someone who had an air of confidence. In this way she had come to know the
streets of the City quite well. She could usually tell where she was at any time
through an instinctual remembering of how she got to be there.
She had only paused for refreshment by buying tea or sandwiches from stalls.
She could not go inside a caf or restaurant because glass, although transparentto visible light, obscured her perception of auras. Fortunately, because clothing
was woven from fibres and therefore full of life enhancing air, it obscured little
of the internal atmospheres of the people around her.
Those who were naturally cheerful, were holding themselves tightly and they
were marvelling at the intense chill of the air. They were using the big freeze as
an opportunity to engage with their fellows with comments about the
extraordinaryness of it all. Their atmospheres, which Judith could perceive
within their auras, were warm red glows surrounded by lively, darting blues and
purples dancing like a fire around them and between them and interlacing with
the presence of others.
Those who were more naturally doleful were holding out and waiting for it to
all go away. Their atmospheres projected out ahead of them, impatient to get tothe warmth and shelter of where they were going. Again there was a warm red,
inner glow, but it was surrounded by a steady green border which kept each
centre isolated from those around and focussed on the intent to be elsewhere.
What Judith was looking for was someone whose aura showed that he was
carrying a deception within a surround of confidence. The deception would
appear as a tiny but intense nimbus, isolated and at odds with the rest of the
atmospherics with the presence of the person. Unfortunately, this being one of
the financial capitals of the world, there were many such folk around. This fact
had made her work very difficult over that last few months difficult that is,
until now. Now, she was looking for someone who was carrying a deception
within a surround of confidence all within a physical body which was very
much at home in this weather.Suddenly, all the factors clicked into place and there he was. It was
unmistakable. His internal metabolism had shifted already, his thyroid still
glowing from effecting the change. Well worn pathways of micro-circulation
had been brought into play on his skin, his liver was converting lipoids in a well
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practised way, his insulin levels were steady but active in a lifelong habit and
his lungs, unusually well supplied with blood, were able to warm this ultra-
chilled air with ease. This man, unlike any other she had seen that day, was
absolutely at home in this climate. Perhaps he was Inuit, perhaps a Laplander.
She studied the sophisticated nature of the core of deception, deep within his air
of confidence and decided he was definitely not one of those. Perhaps he was
Canadian, Norwegian or Swedish. These were wealthy countries and theircitizens lived in central heating and would not have the acclimatisation that this
man had. Judith knew with a certainty that this was her man. This was a
Muscovite at home in a deep Siberian winter. She pressed a button on the radio
through her pocket and spoke softly, turning her head slightly to one side so that
she could be heard in the microphone by her ear.
Craig. Ive found him.
The radio crackled almost immediately. Craig must have been continually
monitoring her as he went about his busy life.
Where are you? Where is he?
Im somewhere on Cheapside, heading towards Mansion House on the
south side. Im not sure but I think I just crossed Bow Lane. Hes walking quite
fast and is just in front of me.Ive got a couple of chaps near you. Weve been hoping you might come up
with something. What are you wearing?
A full length fur coat, with a fur hat and muff. I cant remember the
colour if I ever knew.
Craigs agents came along side her minutes later. A woman in that kind of
coat really sood out from the crowd. She pointed the Muscovite out, hoping that
he wasnt looking. The man showed no change in his intent. She had passed him
over to the agents successfully.
Judith had been right. He was their man. He had entered Newcastle as a
youth twelve years before and after cultivating a northern identity, had come
south, and with the aid of a few well laid KGB plants had furthered his career
deep within the Bank of England. Internal Intelligence knew that informationwas getting out that was destabilising the pound - to the advantage of the Rouble
- but no-one knew how it was getting out. The Muscovite was so well hidden in
his Newcastle guise that they would never have found him. Never at all that is
but for Judiths vigilance during the cold snap. It was to be her last mission.
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It was now the late 1980s and Judith could sense the approach of the demise
of the Soviet Union. She would soon be in her eighties herself and it was time to
retire. She had more important things to do and it was now time to do them. She
visited Craig soon after and handed in her resignation. She would go and live
permanently in her small country retreat in the Cotswolds.
..............................................................................
More than a decade later, a very different scene. It was cold, not because of
the climate but because of the altitude. The fliers were dressed warmly against
the chill air.
Hortza was soaring near the top of his range. The thinness of the air was
leaving him breathless and giddy despite his extraordinary fitness. He looked
down on the frost glazed cliff edge below. Despite the fact that the jagged ridge
was cresting at an altittude of nearly five thousand metres, it was receding into
the distance below him. The updraft of air caused by the wind surging up the
steep face of this terrain could easily have carried him higher but he was in
danger of blacking out from lack of oxygen. Four of his fellow fliers were
circling below, climbing steadily on the same ascending wave of air that hadcarried him so high. Also below him, he could see two more of his fellows,
gliding rapidly down, using the height to which they had climbed to fuel a series
of dives and acrobatics.
Suddenly there was a crackling in Hortzas ear. It was his radio. He was
being called in. So were Futard and Soraya. He tipped his tail fin down to begin
his descent and soon the wind was shrieking over his wing tips. He did not tarry
to play with his speed using dives and stalls, wheels and turns as had been his
plan. He headed straight towards the cliff-clinging stone ramparts of the
mountain citadel twenty kilometres to the south. Out of the corner of his eye, he
could see two of the others following suit. Their loyalty was absolute and there
was never any questioning or dallying on orders. It was not a loyalty based on
fear but on devotion, gratitude and a passion for flying. They would be therewithin ten minutes.
Hortzas descent was the beginning of an adventure that would culminate all
of their training so far. Hortzas descent was also the beginning of the end of
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Judiths retirement.
.........................................................................
Later that day, in the same mountain Citadel, Darius was at work. The
mechanical arm, having twisted off the lid, gently and smoothly tipped the
contents of the canister into the flask. The flow of the culture medium seemed to
hang as a thick, smooth, honey-like strand, stretching from the pouring lip of thelarger vessel into mouth the stoutly made, metal cylinder. The transfer was
almost complete in one smooth, ripple-free pour, when a sudden shiver from
nowhere, passed through his body as he held the controls. The still small
movement tremored through his hands and onto the levers which operated the
mechanical arms. In turn, the slight judder passed along the arms causing a tiny
ripple to flick through the smooth strand of the pour. Unseen by the scientist, the
ripple hit the surface of the medium in the flask and a minute splash occurred. A
microscopic droplet was ejected into the air. The droplet was so small and light,
that it floated in the air currents within the sealed, glass enclosure in which the
procedure was taking place. The flask was sitting on a set of scales. As the
weight reached a predetermined figure, the mechanical arm straightened the
canister and replaced the lid. It then screwed another lid, smoothly and securelyonto the flask. As a final precaution, a spray of strong disinfectant, washed the
interior of the enclosure, thoroughly sterilising the outer surfaces of the two
vessels. The droplet however, had floated above the spray nozzles which
projected down from the roof of the enclosure. It was unaffected.
As Darius opened the enclosure, the sudden ingress of air swirled around the
interior carrying the droplet with it out into the open and down onto the cuff of
his left rubber glove. The scientist, placed the flask into a soft, cushioned,
protective container that had been specially made for it. He screwed the lid on
that and resealed the enclosure. He placed the container into a holdall. Only
then did he pull the right glove off with the left. Then, taking hold of the cuff of
the left with his bare right fingers, he pulled the left glove off also. The droplet
smeared onto his right index finger.Darius left the lab and went into the adjoining apartment next door. His wife
met him in the hall. He lifted her veil and gazed upon her beauty. On a sudden
impulse, he playfully touched the tip of her nose with his index finger, and
kissed her on her lips. She sighed and drew in a deep breath. That was all it
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took. Such an event had been calculated as being a one in forty million chance.
He had, however, shivered in the way that he had shivered. The droplet had
been created. She was now infected.
................................................................................
A few days later, in Birminham, England, A young woman stood on the edge
of a track at the Paralympic Trials. It was unconscious at first, but she gradually
became aware that there was a young man sitting next to her. What she sensedabout him was his intent. He was still, unmoving yet engrossed in the
wheelchair race. It was her guide-dog Rusty that made the first move. The dog
crossed over to her right side to be next to him. This was awkward because she
always held his harness with her left hand so that he could guide her. She was
used to following Rusty, so her attention naturally followed the dogs movement.
The second thing that drew her attention was a certain quality in his atmosphere.
It was one that she had rarely encountered before and she was puzzled by it. He
had something about him that was content. He also had something about him
that was thrilled to be alive. This paradox puzzled her. It reminded her of an
essence that she was beginning to recognise in herself. It was a longing that both
touched her with its candour and disturbed her in her dreams at night. It was an
essence which was asking her why she was so different that few people wouldcome close to her. Why did she feel that she had a remarkable destiny despite
the fact that she was so disabled that merely navigating around in the world of
sighted people took the majority of her creative effort?
She turned to him slightly, My dog seems to like your after shave. She
surprised herself, first of all because her sensitive sense of smell told her that he
was not wearing aftercare and secondly that she had dared to initiate a
conversation at all.
No, I think it more likely that he likes my eau de hot dog. He responded
lightly. She had already guessed what he was eating.
She surprised herself again. Youve got him sussed already. She actually
knew that Rusty was rarely led by his stomach and that begging was not one of
his habits.He did not reply. She was enjoying her new found bravery. Do you race?
She enquired after a short period of time. She could not perceive the wheelchair,
but she was aware that he was sitting and that the light of his auric presence
showed only from his waist up.
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No, I used to. I actually got on quite well, but ultimately I am too light. She
listened for a catch of regret in his voice. It wasnt there. The fact was that he
seemed almost excited by the fact. She sensed this both in his atmosphere and in
the tone of his voice.
I would have thought that lightness was an advantage. She was genuinely
puzzled by his reply but also wanted the conversation to go on. She became
aware of his gaze directly on her. It bathed her. She liked it despite itsdirectness.
Im sorry I hadnt noticed. He was faltering now. He had obviously
noticed her blindness. I havent got any legs. He had stated it as a matter of
fact, but the impact shocked her. Although she knew he was sitting in a
wheelchair, she had not read the extent of his disability so intrigued was she by
the fullness of his personal presence and character. She was now a bit flustered.
Oh I didnt realise but surely if it is a wheelchair race? Her voice
tailed off.
Actually you couldnt know, his voice had gone softer now, what I
mean is you would have had to have had the experience I have no legs at all,
just a pelvis As I push on the wheels with my arms my body tends to fall
forward as I finish the sweep. He was waiting for acknowledgement, so shenodded slightly. I have to be strapped in This works but it hinders me from
excelling. He was speaking to her as if he really wanted Livvy to know
something about him. What he said was direct and unembellished yet she sensed
in his atmosphere that it wasnt the whole story.
Im sui generis! He added maintaining his gaze on her That means I am
in a genre of which I am the only example, a bit like a Duckbilled Platypus.
She was slightly annoyed at the abstract science. She also sensed that he was
covering something. She could feel it.
He sensed her stepping back What I mean is that there is no category in
which I could fairly compete his voice had slowed I mean, I was doing it
just for the sake of being with my friends she was alert to his atmosphere now.
It appeared to her that he was searching to say something that he couldnt say.And then I found He stopped himself outright.
She knew he had got himself into a cul de sac. He couldnt or wouldnt go
any further with his answer for fear of revealing something. She had seen that
atmospheric before. It was unusual but unmistakable. She became confused and
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might have faltered in the flow of the conversation if she hadnt picked up on a
slight accent.
You dont sound English, she said, as much a question as a statement.
Im Canadian. He paused. My father was born here and emigrated to
Toronto when he was in his late teens.
And youve come back Livvy finished for him.
Yes, I guess I have. I was staying with my aunt and uncle Shes myfathers sister. Again there was a hidden element that crept into his demeanor.
Livvy could tell he wasnt being devious as such. It was more that he was being
inexplicably cautious. She remained puzzled.
Were you in an accident? she asked.
Funny you should ask he replied, my mom told me that my coming along
was an accident. We found that we were unexpectedly expecting. was the way
she put it.
She laughed, enjoying his sense of humour. She responded, Me too I
mean, I wasnt an accident, they wanted me very much and I have an older
sister. But I have been blind since birth. she felt the need to tell a bit more.
Im not totally blind Im told that what I see is like what others see on a
moonless night It is sunny now and Im aware of where you are but I have somany other ways of seeing you. Now she too was in a cul de sac or was she?
She had tried so often to tell others of what she could feel and of the world of
auras in which she lived. It was a world of textures, of living presence which
she alone seemed to be able to sense. When she did try to describe something of
it, she had always been met by rebuff or jokes. It hurt, and she stopped risking
it. Maybe she could take that risk with him. No. He had stopped and she would
stop too.
What? Do you mean you can hear where I am? He asked.
Yes, thats right. She replied exaggerating the power of one sense to keep
the others secret. People breath and are constantly moving around in small
ways that I can hear. I have quite a good sense of smell too, if that doesnt
sound too intrusive. She giggled because it was actually quite true.Gosh! Nothing bad I hope?
No, but only because I like eau de hot dog. He joined her laughter.
Livvy had not yet fully grasped the breadth, texture and depth of the world -
which through her uniquely developing senses - she actually did live in. It was a
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world made up of an unknown, little understood quality of presence. It was what
she could only describe as a kind of buzzy light which surrounded every living
thing and living being. She could hear sounds acutely, which if others stopped
and closed their eyes to hear, they would be amazed by. She was also aware of
the scents and odours that are rife in our busy human world. If others took the
time to smell things in the way that Livvy did, they too would begin to be lost in
that world. Yet all of these senses others have, and override by reason of theirpreoccupation with sight.
Livvy, however, in addition to all of this, had ventured into a world which
others only ever touch the edge of. A world where every living thing carries an
envelope of silent music; notes without sound, colours without light, tingling
without touch. A world of vibrancy and vividness, which at times was so painful
that she had to leave the room and at other times was so rich in soundless
melody that she simply basked in it. It was in this world, that she felt his
presence. It was rose-coloured, clear and full of life. His atmosphere was
dynamic and to the point. It was these qualities that drew her to him.
Alex noticed her musing and looked around for something to say.
Oh, and of course you have the dog as well.
Yes, this is Rusty. She deliberately bent down to ruffle the dogs head.Rusty responded and pushed his muzzle into the mans side.
Hello Rusty, Im Alex Rogers, will you introduce me to your mistress?
Oh Im sorry, Alex! Rusty has so much better manners than I do! Im
Livvy. Livvy Johnson Keeping her left hand on Rustys neck, she reached out
her right hand formally, relieved to be having a normal conversation at last and
thrilled inwardly to know his name. The fact that he had no legs or indeed what
he looked like in any way whatsoever had no impact on her. The idea of
appearance had no meaning for her. Living in a world of sensed essences of
being, his presence was more filled out than anyone she had met for a long time.
Do you do any sports? Alex enquired.
I swim regularly. In a pool that is. I have to be accompanied in the sea. Ive
done so since I was a child. Im not so keen on swimming lengths though. Ibanged my head on the end a little too often. She giggled again.
He laughed too, Not the best way to use your sense of touch I guess.
No, its certainly not. She felt even more at ease. What I really like to do
is to swim underwater. Its so beautiful down there. I can stay down for quite a
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long time. I love it. Theres just me and my sense of balance. Nothing else. I can
dive and twist and turn. Its almost like flying. She noticed a sudden jump in
his atmosphere. It was almost a jolt.
Mmm, he responded pensively, there must be a wonderful sense of
freedom in flying.
Yes, there is. Underwater flying anyway. I wouldnt know any other kind of
course.There was a longing in his atmosphere. She had seen the atmosphere that
comes with longing often enough in others, but this was different. It was as
though he was longing to tell her something. He broke into her thoughts. Why
would you need a sense of balance to swim? I would have thought that you
couldnt fall over even if you tried.
She laughed.
I need to know where up is, Alex. Thats where the air is.
Oh, of course! He was pleasantly surprised. I do that all the time, I just
never thought about it like that. Again there was something in his atmosphere
that told her he was alluding to something far more dynamic than he could talk
about.
She picked up on his original question.I also walk a lot, but I would like to do something a bit more challenging.
I would have thought walking without sight was quite a challenge, he
replied with an admiring tone. It was a quality of admiration which she felt she
could accept. It had been a challenge, but one which was becoming increasingly
easy.
It is, she replied, I guess like you said, I am looking for something to do
with my friends. I hear that there are quite a lot of blind people here running
great races. I want to find out how they do it. She felt she couldnt tell him how
much running she was doing, because he would want to know how it was
possible.
Yeah. Ive seen that off in the distance. Ive generally been a bit
preoccupied with my own sport, but I hear that there are a couple of world classblind runners here today. I think they use a sighted partner. I guess their partners
must be pretty fast too.
Oh, replied Livvy, I thought they might be using some other sense.
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Oh, well Ive seen visually impaired people play football with a ball that
sings, replied Alex
Wow! I could enjoy that, said Livvy
There was an awkward silence. The conversation had gone on for quite a
long time compared with her normal experience. Usually the awkward silence
came very soon and Livvy would back out with a nice meeting you and that
would be the end of it. This was in part because of her natural shyness and inpart because she was herself a paradox. She could see very little yet the visual
impact of her physical appearance was substantial. She was medium build, but
lithe and athletic. She had vivid chestnut hair, full lips and an angularity of face
that was just far enough away from a classic beauty to make her even more
interesting. When coming into her presence, people were aware of her alertness
and yet her large violet eyes drifted as if in a dream. At the age of eighteen she
was only just learning the elusive art of conversation. An age where formative
skills of how to put a person at ease through showing interest, how to reveal
enough of herself to reciprocate without overwhelming, were only beginning to
be explored. She longed for a deeper level of companionship and love, yet the
impact of her appearance stilted all attempts. Other girls were suspicious, young
men either tongue-tied or behaving in a strange, false way that she couldntunderstand. Never having viewed the countenance of a human being, the
countenance of her own race - no more than a blurred imprint of the face of her
own mother since birth - the impact of her own appearance on others was both a
puzzle to her and something that she was becoming resigned to. It was this
resignation that was both her protection and her deepest concern. Was she going
to be alone all of her life? She was determined not to be.
Have you travelled far? She asked, breaking the silence. She felt an
increased warmth coming from his presence. She instinctively knew what it
was. He too was used to being chatted to briefly and then abandoned. She
sensed that he was pleased that she had stayed through the silence.
I have been living somewhat south of here in the Cotswolds, he answered,
But Ill also be spending a lot of time in London with my job.Oh what do you do? She asked.
Ive taken a year out as a researcher in a technology development company.
I am hoping they might help sponsor me through my physics degree next year.
Gosh, thats really interesting. What sort of research are you involved in?
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She sensed his hesitation. It had the same feeling about it that she had
encountered a few minutes before. Oh just processing data, he replied,
sounds more glamorous than it is.
She didnt want to push him. If she was reading his atmospherics correctly he
was slightly agitated and whats more, lying outright. She floundered a bit
trying to change tactics.
Is it just your legs youre missing? She didnt know why she had askedsuch a personal question, perhaps she had been curious about his condition but
there was an underlying question that was nagging her as well. Im sorry, she
giggled nervously I dont know why I asked that.
Its all right, he laughed, my doctor tells me that I have two femoral
arteries with nothing much to do, so everything else is very well looked after,
thank you.
She knew that embarrassment could be seen by the sighted, and she could
certainly feel her cheeks burning. She felt strongly attracted to him as a man and
she now realised that she had unconsciously wanted to know if that attraction
was rightly placed. It was just at that moment that events moved them apart. She
was saved from her embarrassment.
Livvy, this is Magnus. The introduction from Alex jolted her out of herthoughts. She could feel the presence of a large burly man, now standing behind
Alexs wheelchair.
Hello, Livvy. Acknowledged the man curtly. Alex we must be going.
Livvy sensed there was a protective air in his attitude. It was as if he wanted to
keep Alex away from her.
Hello Magnus. Replied Livvy in a measured way. She felt Alex turn
towards her, there was a brief awkward silence that asked, indeed demanded a
decision that was not taken up.
Really nice to meet you Livvy. It came as a letdown from Alex. She was
old fashioned enough to feel that it was not her place to ask for numbers or
addresses herself.
Bye now. nodded Magnus over his shoulder as he began to push thewheelchair away.
Yeah, you too Alex. Livvys voice trailed after them, unable to disguise a
note of disappointment.
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Livvy felt empty. She had really enjoyed their time together. It had potential
and meaning and had been primarily brought to an end by Magnus. It was then
that she noticed a very strange thing. Part of Alexs aura was still with her! It
was there, just to her right, and it stayed with her as she began to walk off. A
definite wisp of rose-coloured substance, identical in nature to the light of his
auric presence which had surrounded him when they were together. Suddenly
she felt content. This means something, she thought to herself. I dont knowwhat, but it definitely means something!
Chapter 2Flash Back
Alex felt a deep twinge of regret as Magnus walked beside him as he
wheeled himself towards the exit of the sports ground. He wished he had asked
Livvy for her phone number or some means of getting in touch with her again.
He didnt even know what part of the country she lived in. Now it was too late.
Alex began musing to himself. This had become such a significant place for
him. A year ago when he was last here, he had met Magnus and his life turned
completely around. Today he returned to meet this strange and wonderful girl.
Alex had remained in awe of Magnus ever since he first met him. Now - herealised for the first time - he felt an irritation with this man who had done so
much for him. The very idea that he might feel any sort of irritation withMagnus was surprising to him.
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Why are we in such a hurry, Magnus? He asked, cautiously testing out this
new found rebellion.
The car is waiting around the front. Soon there will be crowds of people
trying to get out of here and we will get stuck in the traffic.
Well, couldnt you have waited until I finished talking to Livvy? You were
really rude. One minute we were talking, the next you just barged in and off we
go. I didnt even get to say goodbye to her. Alex felt his hackles rising as heallowed his anger to rise up.
Look, Alex. Magnus had softened his voice now. He had a sensing of what
was going on with Alex. We have to be so careful at this stage of the game.
With your new mission in life, you cannot afford to get involved with anyone.
Even the simplest conversation will quite quickly beg questions that you will
not be able to answer. What if she were to say, And what do you do Alex?
How would you answer that?
That last question was uncannily accurate. Alex covered his discomfort with
by furthering the challenge. I see, so you did butt in and whisk me away so that
I couldnt talk to her! Alexs anger was rising even more, and he was not afraid
of it.
Yes I did Alex, answered Magnus in a calm and matter of fact way.Well up yours, Magnus! Ive never met anyone like that and we were
getting on just fine until you came along. You dont own me. Surely I can have
the odd conversation without you treating me like a kid talking to strangers,
Alex was really on the boil now.
Magnus put his hand on Alexs shoulder to stop him. He walked around in
front of the young man. He judged that even though they were in the middle of a
fast moving crowd, by the very nature of the bustle, it was a safe place to speak
plainly. He chose to remain standing upright even though Alex was at a lower
level in the cahir.
Alex, that is just it. Magnus said in a firm but gentle voice. Youre nota
kid anymore! All this has been a lot of fun so far, but you need to get it into
your head that what were doing isntkids stuff. It may be fun now but therereally is a serious edge to what we are doing and it will get very dangerous!
When we start operating, people will be seeing things out of the corner of their
eye that they dont understand. Therell be questions and therell be noses
poking into things where they dont belong. This is big boy stuff and you are
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sure as hell going to need some big boy discipline. Im sorry. In fact Im really
sorry. She was a striking young woman. Alex you have to keep your life really
simple. If youre going to stay on board you cant afford any complications in
your life whatsoever.
Alex stared back, fuming. He was fuming because he knew that Magnus was
right. He was fuming because he realised that Magnus did own him in a sense
because there was nothing he wanted more than to be part of the project. He wasfuming because he also wanted to see Livvy again and sensed how strong that
desire could become. He was fuming because he knew there was no choice.
Magnus saw this process going on in him, He stood looking kindly at him for
a few seconds, then turned to continue on their way. Alex soon caught up and
wheeled along side him. Soon they had croosed the car park and were
approaching a large saloon car. The driver was waiting leaning against the side
of the car. He was leaning enough to appear relaxed but not so much as to look
unprofessional. He was in fact very professional.
Hi Ross, lets be getting on our way. Magnus spoke softly but firmly. The
driver held open the door, Alex pulled himself up out of the chair by reaching
for the frame above the car door with his strong athletic arms. He slipped
himself into the rear seat with the grace of a dancer. Any one who saw Alexmove, soon realised that he wasnt disabled at all. To say he was differently-
abled was not to be politically correct. It was a fact. He was differently and
beautifully abled with a grace about him that people quickly recognised so that
they felt at ease with him.
Ross folded the chair and put it into the boot. Magnus got into the front
passenger seat and Ross sat behind the wheel. The car sped off into the
gathering dusk.
Maybe I could develop a secret identity, like Superman did. Alex was
musing out loud but Magnus knew there was a serious thought behind it. There
was a silence while he considered the idea. Superman didnt develop Clark
Kent, he already was Clark Kent, said Magnus.
No he wasnt, he was Joel from the planet Krypton, retorted Alex.Naw, Joel was his dad, besides, Clark Kent was useful, he was a reporter
and that put him in touch with all the bad things going on in the world so that
his Superman identity could fix them. Magnus was sparring with him now.
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I suppose you are going to tell me the same goes for Peter Parker and
Spiderman. Parker was a news photographer Well what about Batman and
Bruce Ward? Bruce wasnt in the news business. Alex was warming to this
new relationship with Magnus, it was as though having stood up for himself,
they were becoming friends.
Well, Bruce was Bruce, he invented Batman. It wasnt the other way
around. He couldnt just disappear as Bruce. Anyway, somebody had to own themansion above the Bat Cave and pay taxes on it. Can you imagine some civil
servant trying to work out the rateable value of the Bat Cave? Magnus, had
his arm hooked over behind the drivers seat to turn himself towards Alex.
He must have had a tax disc for the Batmobile otherwise he might have
been pulled over just when he was about to catch the Joker. Alex had settled
himself down into the corner against the door and the seat back.
Naw, the joker was always in front and he didnt have a tax disc either. The
cops would have got him first.
Do planes have tax discs? Will I need one? Alex quipped.
Whos going to check?
Youre not suggesting we do something illegal are you?
Tax discs are for motors. You dont have a motor. I dont need a tax disc towalk around, you dont need one to fly.
The car carried on into the darkness on its long journey. The pair continued
to parry with each other as the kilometres rolled by. After a while during a lull
in the conversation, Alex drifted off to sleep.
A sudden bump in the road awakened him, maybe it was just an especially
sharp bend. He came out of his dream and his thoughts drifted back to Livvy
and their time in the sports arena. They then drifted back even further to the
time - exactly a year before and in almost the same place - when Alex had first
met Magnus.
He remembered the time well, in fact he was unlikely ever to forget it. It was
at the height of his training in the paralympic trials. He had been racing
wheelchairs. He had been racing well. In fact he had been training regularly formonths and was now at the peak of his performance. He let his mind drift back
to that time, a year before.
He could remember just how he felt as he rested after a particular race. He
had come third again, and the reality of it was beginning to dawn on him. He
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knew he could do no better than he had just done. He was being brutally honest
with himself and it hurt to do so. As good as he had been, there were many
who were faster, more able to sustain the pace and more able to manoeuvre their
wheelchairs with ease. Alex was shifting in his attitude towards himself but it
was a near-violent ebb and flow. In one moment he would be beating himself up
emotionally, for not doing better. In another moment, and this instance was just
such a one, he would be puzzled as to why his substantially increased effortsproduced little improvement in his performance. He was at the top of his ability
and yet he was feeling absolutely at rock bottom.
It was then that he looked up to see his coach, Martin, walking across the
field towards him. He saw that he was accompanied by a larger, more burley
figure of a man who was probably in his early fifties. As the pair came nearer,
Alex sensed an air of ease about the stranger despite his being overdressed, with
mud splattered on his leather shoes and trouser cuffs. Alex found the mans
assurance disturbing as he himself was in a state of self-doubt. He pushed his
irritation down and managed a smile as they approached.
Alex, Id like you to meet Magnus Kowalczyk. Martin nodded towards the
man. Alex managed an acknowledgement that came out more as a grunt. He was
not in a mood for socialising.Mr. Kowalczyk
Call me, Magnus, the stranger interjected
Oh, said Martin, Okay Magnus represents a large innovative design
company. Theyre quite keen on helping to sponsor our team.
Oh, thats good. Alexs response was dull. The last thing he wanted to hear
was something upbeat about a sport he was beginning to feel a distinct failure
in. His attitude had not passed Martin by yet his coach continued doggedly.
Magnus watched you race in the last two events. He specialises in
ergonomic design. I think he has a really interesting take on whats holding you
back.
Alex perked up at that point and took an interest. Now, when he looked back
on that conversation, he remembered it as a turning point in his life. It wasMagnus who had noticed the dynamics of how the particular nature of his
disability held him back from leading the pack. It was Magnus who had first
noticed that the problem arose from the shape of his body as a whole.
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It took someone who could stand apart to see the significance of the others
having legs, even though they were either paralysed or amputated lower down.
Without any legs at all, Alexs torso was a tapered trunk. He had to be strapped
to the back of his chair for him to maintain enough stability to be able to
manoeuvre and stay the course of the race. This restricted his movements so that
no matter how much he trained, the disadvantage was always that little bit too
much. He was more successful in the marathon than in the sprints. In thedistance races, his endurance abilities and lightness began to show their
advantage but Alex had to race people with enough legs left to give them
balance and leverage in the chair. On cornering and vying for position, the
others could outmanoeuvre him, and that was a simple fact. As Magnus
explained his theories to him in simple, easy-to-understand terms, Alex not only
began to feel better about himself, but he began to warm to the older man as
well.
From what youre saying, he said, after pondering Magnuss words, I can
race for the sake of it, for the thrill of being in the competition, but I can forget
about winning.
No, replied Magnus, thats not necessarily so at all. Its just that the
wheelchair that youre using is basically a racy version of a conventional one. Inmy experience, when a designer starts to work from first principles when he
learns from what has gone on before but isnt restricted by it well it can be
amazing what can be done.
Are you saying that a wheelchair could be designed that took into account
the restrictions of my condition?
Wouldnt be surprised.
What if you did build such a thing, and I started winning? Alex asked.
Wouldnt people say that it was because I had a superior wheelchair rather than
seeing that it was just compensating for my body shape?
Well they might indeed, said Magnus. We would have to be careful with
the appearance. If youre dealing with the same wind resistance and the
propulsion is coming from your arms with the same angle of leverage as theothers, theres not much they could say. Im thinking of the recumbent bicycle
which is banned from cycle racing because it changes the whole basis on which
a bicycle works by lowering the wind resistance and so on. We wouldnt be
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doing that. Wed be doing something more subtle, but it would be really
effective for your individual make-up.
Are you making me an offer? Alex asked, hesitantly.
Yes I am, Alex, replied Magnus. He turned to Martin. With your
permission, of course.
Absolutely, said Martin. I think thats a wonderful offer.
What would I have to do? Alex asked, feeling excited and at the same timea little overwhelmed.
Well, I guess the best thing is to come over to the headquarters of
Innovative Systems Design, thats my company, and meet my design team.
Magnus looked quizzically at Martin. Just then a man started towards them from
the benches of the race organisers. When he had come near enough, he called
out to Martin and gestured for him to come over to the benches.
Looks like my attention is needed, said Martin. You two carry on.
Whatever you need, Magnus, you have my backing. Martin left them with a
cheery wave over his shoulder.
How about tomorrow, about eleven? asked Magnus. He produced a card
which had a cleverly designed fold-out map on the back with a set of directions.
Alex studied it briefly.Hmm, he replied, Looks like I could get a train from the station near my
house Okay. He looked shyly up from the map.
Good, said Magnus. He looked at the young man steadily. I cant help
thinking, horses for courses.
What do you mean? asked Alex.
Well, I guess it literally means that some horses are better suited to flat
racing and others are better suited to the steeplechase.
Oh Alex felt awkward with the metaphor. Magnus saw this and decided
to be more pointed.
Wheelchair racing is an activity for which you are not fully suited. So, we
could redesign the apparatus so that it would work better for you and well do
that. But just suppose there was an activity - an interesting activity - for whichyour body-shape was absolutely ideal. What I am talking about is an activity for
which you were perfectly designed. Then everyone else would have a handicap
with respect to that. Even two legged people. Magnus posed this proposition
slowly.
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Well, I cant think what that would be, replied Alex.
Of course not. Thats because very few people have your body shape so it
stands to reason that such an activity would not enter into peoples consideration
or if it did, they would regard it as impossible. So its not surprising that it
hasnt come to your attention. Something in Magnuss voice, pulled Alex up
short. It was as though the man was speaking about something real rather than a
supposition.Have you got something in mind? he asked directly. His curiosity was
overcoming his shyness.
Yes I do. Well talk about that tomorrow as well. Magnus looked at his
watch. I must be going Alex. There are a couple of sponsorship items I want to
discuss with Martin.
Okay Magnus, Alex replied, Ill see you then.
Magnus nodded and walked towards the benches where Martin was in
conversation. Alex watched him go then began wheeling his way over to join
his friends.
The car rumbled slightly as it turned onto a narrow road jerking Alex out of
his revere and back to the journey home.. Soon the powerful headlights bit
lower into the black road surface as they began to climb a steep escarpment. Heremembered then that the original purpose for their visit to the paralympic trials
was for Magnus to complete some business with the racing team.
How did your meeting go with Martin? Alex asked. He had also had an
encounter with his former coach and it had been somewhat subdued.
It went very well, Alex. The sponsorship deal has been very helpful to him.
I guess its been a good salve for any ruffled feathers he might have. Magnus
looked meaningfully over his shoulder. Alex remained thoughtful. Although he
was absolutely certain he had done the right thing in leaving the team, he still
felt guilty about it. It had been a hard decision to make, but in the end he
couldnt afford to divide his time between the racing and his new project.
Magnus knew he felt awkward about the way he had left.
It was good value for money, Alex, he added as a way of drawing theyoung man out.
Well I hope so, came the reply at length.
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Dont get me wrong, Magnus added, I dont really see it as a purchase,
more a making sure that we didnt damage the team by taking you out of it. You
understand that dont you.
Actually Alex hadnt. He actually felt awkward about the whole thing. He
now realised that Magnus had planned his recruitment; and that he had done so
even before he had started the sponsorship. Indeed the sponsorship had been a
means to that end. He also knew the urgency behind why Magnus had done it. Itjust didnt sit well with his sense of fair play.
It was helpful for him to hear Magnus describe the deal as a compensation.
The day trip had been an eye-opener for him. He had seen how the money had
gone into the program and had provided training and a sense of excitement and
belonging for three new boys, all a couple of years younger than him. He had
found a purpose to his life. Now, as a direct result of his decisions, they had
found one too.
The car reached the top of the escarpment and soon swept round a bend. It
stopped so that Magnus could get out to open a large set of gates. Ross drove
the car through into the dark gardens beyond.
........................................................................................
Eleven months before the drop had escaped and Dariuss wife had
become infected, Darius was being driven back from the airport. His
mind was brooding on his mission to Morocco and the purchase he had
made there of a small freighter. He was mulling over the negotiations he
had made on its routing in the months to come. Darius had planned it
well and the voyages had been accepted without question by the Captain.
The vessel was in good condition and Darius had been particularly
interested in the high forecastle with its unobstructed deck on top. Still,
there was a sense of unease with it. Unease was more disturbing for
Darius than it was for others. He was troubled by a darkness, a insidious
shadow that haunted him. It was as though his love and care for thepeople of this valley had separated him away from another part of
himself, a part over which he was losing control. He was aware that it
was under the influence of the shadow that he had bought the vessel and
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he was losing the ability to contain or even understand what he was
going to do with it.
The car turned out of the high mountain pass and into his home
region. His heart lifted. The green carpet of healthy crops spread right
up to the jumbled rocks at the base of the high cliff faces. Small, well kept
villages dotted the landscape and people could be see going about theirbusiness. The region was rapidly becoming known as Kasderouss, The
Valley of the Angels. At first sight be the obvious reason why was the
startling contrast between the abundance here and the disarray of the
rest of the country would.
There was another reason however angels actually had been seen
here; many times. The people had seen them and they in turn felt seen by
the messengers of the Great One. They felt that their lives were honoured
and respected. The visitations had a practical effect as well. Often a
potential problem would suddenly and mysteriously be solved after the
appearance in the air above of one of these beautiful beings. Also too,
new ideas would somehow enter a community and be whispered around.Ideas that would have needed an Angels perspective. Then
wonderfully the means to put the ideas into action would somehow
appear. This happened time and time again so that, over the last few
years, the grace of Allah could be seen in undeniable display everywhere
in the region.
Darius smiled to himself and sighed. He was home. He settled down
into the back seat and watched the landscape go by with pleasure. The
driver who had sped along the twisting dangerous road up to that point,
had slowed to a respectful pace as they had left the pass, even though the
road was now straight, smooth and well maintained. Darius was now at
ease with himself again.
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Chapter 3Atmospherics
The day that Alex first met Magnus at the paralympics trials was also a
significant day for Livvy. It was then that she first met Rusty who was to
become her guide-dog and trusted friend.David, her father, was driving her to the house of the Thomas family who
had trained Rusty since he was a puppy. They had trained many generations ofguide dogs in their Hampshire country home and were well known for their
intelligent and alert prodigies. Livvys parents were lucky to have made
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enquiries at just the time when Rusty was due to be introduced to his first
owner. Livvy and her father had set out from Richmond early that day and had
soon left the environs of London behind as they drove south-west.
The conversation between them had long since died. This might have been
because David had given his attention to negotiating the numerous bends of a
narrow country lane but there was something else as well. He glanced over at
his daughter as they came to a straighter stretch of road. She was now 17 and hecould feel a gap that had grown between them. Livvys older sister Janey, had
passed through a similar uncomfortable phase and now, even though she was
21and at university, he felt a close bond with her as a young adult.
Somehow it was different with Livvy. The gap between them seemed more
than the normal rift which enabled the inevitable transition from childhood to
adulthood. Such transitional rifts always seemed to crash somewhere into the
teenage years with the recognisable signpost, Daddy youre such a
blockhead or whatever the current catch-phrase was. David understood this
yet he still found the gap with Livvy difficult to understand even with the
wisdom of his 45 years. It wasnt as though she had really indicated that she
thought he was a blockhead, it was more that she seemed frustrated with him for
some reason. Although he had tried many times and in many different ways, hecouldnt find a way to get through to her. He estimated that there would be
about half an hour before they got to the Thomass house. He decided he would
try once again to re-establish his relationship with her.
Livvy appeared to be looking out the window at the passing woodland
through which could be seen large ivy-clad houses. Even though she was
virtually blind, it seemed that the vague impressions that she could see kept her
eyes aligned and attentive in a distant sort of way. David had researched the
nature of her condition thoroughly, and knowing that her sight was limited to
the dimmest of black and white impressions, he often wondered what kept her
so engrossed in her surroundings.
Were travelling down a narrow road, through leafy evergreen woods, he
began telling her. Every so often there is the drive of a large house going off toone side or other. Sometimes you can get a glimpse of the houses through the
trees. There are lots of rhododendrons and laurels. The flowers are beautiful at
this time of year. Livvys father always used the same formula to try and break
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through to her. It used to work so well. They would spend a lot of time together
with him describing their surroundings.
Thanks Dad, Livvy replied, nonchalantly. She had been aware of the
gradual change in her fathers atmosphere since they had left Richmond. It
fascinated her. It had gone from pale blue with vivid pulses to a steady red
rotating swirl. She found the texture of atmospheric imagery that was occurring
within the car even more interesting than the voluminous shimmering of thewoodland outside the car. Now on the threshold of adulthood, her perceptive
ability was developing with the same steady and rapid pace that her physical
body had gone through as she grew from being a small child to a young woman.
Although she had never seen colours in a visual sense, she used the language of
colour to describe her rapidly developing sense of the light which surrounded
every living presence within her vicinity. She let the simple Thanks Dad. hang
in the air, and felt a thrill as she watched the change in his aura. This was cause
and effect at work and she was in control
Her father waited, puzzled and increasingly irritated. Why didnt she
appreciate his taking the time to explain her surroundings to her? Dont you
like me telling you about what is going on around you? He asked, voicing his
exasperation.Well sure Dad. She felt some satifaction that she was finally getting
through to him. Her father might have been speaking out of vexation but for her
it was the beginning of a breakthrough.
I might show a little more interest if you took a little more interest in me,
she said winding his frustration up a notch.
What d you mean, take a little interest in you?! He was now almost
shouting. Here I am taking the day off work, driving you all the way down
here, buying the petrol, theres wear and tear on the car, your mother and I spent
weeks finding this dog for you and he wont be cheap either, and you say, Oh
Ill deem to have a mild conversation with you if you take an interest in me!
Livvy watched in amazement as her fathers aura became at first even more
intensely red and torrid as he began this short tirade and then a calm greenunder-layer emerged with the red substance rolling around on the top as he
finished.
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Well Im your daughter, she retorted, this time without any pause
whatsoever. Youre supposed to look after me. She watched to see what his
aura would do, little darts of purple were piercing the green.
Do you think all I do for you, I do just out of duty? He fumed.
Well, your father looked after you, and the best way you can pay him back
is to look after his granddaughters. Her inner sense picked up a brown swirl,
which looped around the whole of his presence. Wow, I wonder what that is,she thought to herself. It was total perplexity, her father had lost all words.
Ill look after your granddaughters for you. She ventured, sweetly. The
brown stuff seemed to be an atmospheric caught between the red of anger and
the green of calm. It shifted a bit to the green end.
After the experience of you two, I think Id like grandsons. He said,
pretending to speak through gritted teeth. She heard the humour in his voice and
the relief. The first she saw as yellow dancing over his forehead, and the second
as a dynamic shimmering green over his heart. It was then that she saw the
serious bit even before he spoke. He had paused, and it emerged around his
throat. It was white and steady.
You know my father actually didnt really look after me He hardly saw
me at all. He wouldnt have done all this for me. He spoke rather dully. Hewasnt one for dwelling on such things and it made him uncomfortable talking
about it. He felt his daughters gaze penetrating right through him. He took his
eyes off the road for a split second to glance at her. How could she do that? She
wasnt even looking at him. Her eyes were looking sightlessly at a spot just in
front of his chest yet he felt exposed by her attentive watchfulness boring into
him.
Well Daddy. She spoke with sudden warmth and emotion. You do what
you do from your heart, even though you were never shown. She reached
across herself and laid her hand unerringly on his shoulder and snuggled face
towards him with her cheek on her wrist. There was a silence between them for
a couple of miles, during which David felt a return of love for his daughter. It
was a new love, like the love he had for Janey. The love that a father wouldhave for his daughter as she became a young woman. The shift had been made.
Livvy felt rather than saw a warm red join the white. They became swirling
colours moving down to her fathers torso before coming over to her to enfold
her. She relaxed in them. For the first time in many months she felt happy.
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Dad? she enquired softly, sitting back straight in her seat.
Yes Livvy? he answered, keeping his eyes on the road.
Theres a difference between caring for someone, and being interested in
them. Her attention was on the red and white swirls as she spoke. She spoke
slowly as if not wanting to disturb their enfolding energy; yet she was reassured
enough by them to open the subject which she had longed for. If she could not
share this topic with her father, who could she share it with?The red and white swirls, remained steady. Uh-huh David murmured
encouragingly.
You care for houses and things by thinking about what they might need and
giving it to them, She went on, a slight agitation stirred in the swirls. I mean
its wonderful that you do that. The swirls settled down again. If youre
interested in someone, its not about what they need, it is about who they are.
The brown cloud returned and the red and white enfoldment withdrew.
I dont understand the difference? David was genuinely puzzled and it
showed in his voice.
Well, Livvy went on, feeling more cautious without the surround of the red
and white swirl. Looking after me is doing all those things that you do for me
that you were describing, and Dad, Im really grateful to you for all the thingsthat you do for me; and I know that there is so much else that you do as well.
Being interested in who I am, is about wanting to know what I think about, how
I see the world, what I am feeling at any one time.
How can I know about all those things if you dont tell me. David
answered defensively, the brown in his aura changing a little the red direction.
Well she slowed deliberately until the red returned a little to brown.
You could ask me The brown even took on a tinge of green. I ask you
questions about you all the time and you then tell me about yourself. You tell
me how you feel, what youre thinking, what youve been doing. Would you tell
me all that if I didnt ask?
At this, a definite white light dawned in her fathers brown atmospheric.
David had suddenly understood where the gap had come in. His daughter hadstopped asking him about himself and so he had unconsciously assumed that she
wasnt interested any more. That was why he had felt shut out of her life! It
suddenly occurred to him that from his own perspective, he had never really
been in her life, she had been much more in his.
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David felt embarrassed by the simplicity of what she had said. Perhaps it was
the notion of receiving wisdom from a 17 year old girl. It reminded him of an
experience hed had when doing maths as a boy. He had often found himself
stuck with a complex concept just as he found himself stuck with Livvys
question now. Then all of a sudden, the maths teacher would demonstrate
something, and the light would come on. From then on he failed to understand
how anyone could miss the very thing that a few minutes before had been somystifying to him. That was easy to live with. He was then a boy and the
teacher was grown-up. Here he was, 45, worldly wise and quite accomplished,
being taught basic arithmetic by a slip of a girl.
Dad? Are your there? Livvy was genuinely puzzled, his aura had almost
faded to nothing and without it she could hardly discern anything of him at all.
Oh, sorry love, the road back there was a bit tricky and it needed my full
attention. Her fathers aura had suddenly bounced back and this time there was
a bright purple blob in the middle of it. Um, she thought, is that what a little
white lie looks like. They drove on for the next five minutes.
Livvy? David finally broke the silence.
Yes Dad? she responded simply and without pause.
Whats it like to be you?This time it was Livvys red and white swirling presence that surrounded and
enfolded her father. She was very rarely aware of her own aura and it was only
at times such as this that it caught her attention. He of course, noticed nothing
but a deep settling in himself as his daughter began to open her heart to tell him
of the world in which she lived.
By the time they reached the entrance to the Thomass country house, Livvy
had outlined, for the very first time in her life to anyone, the true nature of her
world. The world which for her consisted of the texture, shape and colour of
living etheric presence. The world which in one sense she shared with
everybody, and in another shared with no other that she had yet met.
Her father had listened intently with interest and no hint of scepticism. This
was all that she needed from him. She needed no advice; for how could he giveit? She wanted no approval; for compared with what would he be giving it? She
expected no questions; for she had opened up an entirely new area in his
understanding.
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David really did need time to digest what his daughter had told him. The turn
up the drive to the Thomass house came at just the right moment. Now was the
time to meet Livvys new dog. Something practical and pragmatic to do!
Chapter 4Mysterious Fliers
Magnus, the director of Innovative Systems Design, was in his office. It was
the day after he had found Alex and that particular young man was due in this
office in half an hour. Magnus was bending down over some photographs and
looking at them as if for the first time despite having seen them a thousand
times.
How much should I tell the boy? he mused aloud even though he was
alone.
The photographs were very pixelated. They were certainly not works of art
and yet they held a fascination for Magnus. The first set of five had been taken
by satellite over Montanistan four months previously. They had been enlarged
to the limit. They showed the wind scultured topography of an arid plain,
broken by the high steep cliffs that were characteristic of that distant Asiancountry. Three bird-like objects could be seen, wings outspread in the centre of
each section chosen for enlargement. Some distance away their shadows were
cast on the ground, showing that they were flying at a considerable height. Tiny
as they were in the photographs, calculations showed that they had wingspans of
some ten metres. Short of them being Jurassic Park escapees they had to be
man-made, yet each consecutive frame showed small changes in the wing shape
that were consistent with the movement of living birds.
The next series of four were taken by a patrol ofSAS operatives in the same
area. Going in to investigate the satellite photos, they had observed the sameobjects behaving as if they were out exercising each afternoon. Taken from the
vantage point of a cliff top with a telephoto lens from about two kilometres
away, the three birds could be seen again with a similar resolution to thesatellite shots. Again, each shot showed changes in wing shape consistent with
the movement of living birds. A highly significant part of the SAS report was
that throughout their observations, the pair had not heard a single sound in the
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still desert air. Not a peep, not even the faintest hint of the drone of propellors
had come from the direction of the birds.
The last photo still made Magnuss hair stand on end. It was another taken by
the SAS crew. This time it was a single night shot. The patrol had gone down
into the valley under the cover of darkness. To their surprise, the birds were to
be seen again flying in the moonlight. At one particular point, they were flying
with the full moon behind them. One of the operatives rested the 1000 mm lenson a rock and pointed it at the moon and waited. Apparently, the birds had
flown across the moon a couple of times before this one chance shot where he
had pressed the shutter on the Nikon at precisely the right moment. The rock
had steadied the camera perfectly. There in sharp silhouette against the
moonlight, through the translucent wings measuring 20 cm on the actual photo,
was the image of the head and outstretched arms of a man a man with a
tapering torso, and below that nothing nothing at all nothing but the
moonlight shining though the translucent fan shape of a tail assembly.
Magnus next read through Alexs medical record again. Internal Intelligence
had managed to obtain it through their Canadain counterpart. Magnus had
several other reports of people with similar conditions but none would really
have been up to the task. He had been at a point of giving up when a parallelsearch that he had been making came up trumps. He had been trolling through
Immigration files of entries into the United Kingdom. He had actually been
looking to see if anyone with a description like that of the flier in the
photograph had already come in from Montanistan. It was then that he came
across Alexs details from when the young man had landed at Heathrow from
Canada some six months before.
Alexs report stood out well amongst all the others. The report described
Alex as now being 18 years old. Had he been born with legs, he would likely
have had a height in the region of 176 cm and a weight of about 64 kg. Not a big
man, thought Magnus as he translated the metric into 59 weighing 10st. The
report then described his deformity as being prenatal, consisting of the complete
absence of any leg tissue whatsoever and a considerably underdeveloped pelvicregion. This resulted in a length of 99 cm and a weight of 35 Kg. The cause of
this deformity was unknown. The report then went on to describe the excellent
health of the boy, with a very sound cardiovascular and pulmonary system and
very well developed arm and chest muscles. He had an IQ of about 115. Of
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equal importance he was a Commonwealth citizen. There was a long history of
military co-operation between these two countries.
Smart, very strong, very healthy and all this in a package weighing not much
more than a sack of potatoes, translated Magnus to himself. If God wanted to
make the perfect human being for this job, he would have made Alex.
Magnus had made up his mind. He would put the first proposition to Alex.
He knew that it would be hugely beneficial for the boy, for his self esteem andfor his quality of life. The second proposition he would leave for later in the
hope that he would never have to put it to him.
Magnus looked up at the clock. It was time. He put the papers down walked
across the room and through the door.
............................................................
Whilst Magnus was looking at the photographs, Alex arrived at the long, low
building. It was only a few minutes wheeling from the train station. He looked
up at the discreet sign, Innovative Systems Design PLC, followed by a logo
made up of the letters ISD. He now knew that he was in the right place. He
smiled when he saw a brand new wheelchair ramp, freshly positioned on the
three concrete steps up to the spacious pavement leading to the front door. Iguess Im expected, he thought to himself. He was accurate in his assumption. A
bright and efficient young woman at the reception desk spotted him as he
entered and came over and directed him to a lift to the first floor.
Turn left as you come out and three doors down on your left, she instructed
reassuringly.
Alex had timed his visit as well as he could. The train schedule would have
got him there twenty minutes too early so he had wheeled himself around the
area before going to the ISD building. The area was an industrial complex
consisting of modern well-used buildings usually involved in businesses related
to supplying the nearby military base. He had used the twenty minutes well in
this excursion as it was now just at the agreed time for his meeting with
Magnus.On leaving the lift, he entered the third door on the left which was slightly
ajar. A slightly built greying man was seated at a table. There was a projector
and a screen on the wall, as well as various items on the table. Alex had no time
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to peruse the latter for just as he entered the room the greying man stood up,
another door opened and in walked Magnus.
Alex! exclaimed Magnus almost as if his appearance was a complete
surprise. So good to see you. May I introduce you to Fred Dexter? Fred is our
aviation expert here at ISD. He also takes a special interest in human-powered
flight which - as you are about to see - is going to come in quite useful.
Hello Alex, said Fred. Alex took his extended hand warmly and respondedshyly. The significance of Magnuss last words were already beginning to sink
in with a shock. A thrilling shock but a shock all the same. Magnus saw this.
Well, we might as well get right down to business. He said - then catching
himself - Oh, pardon my manners, tea? coffee? (then remembering Alexs
age) fruit juice?
Fruit juice please, requested Alex not because of his age but due to the
strict regime that Martin, his trainer, kept him on.
Ill have a coffee, Magnus. Fred added.
Good said Magnus, pouring out the drinks. Now I know you are here to
help us with a new design for a racing wheelchair, but theres something I want
you to see first. Is that Okay with you? Alex nodded in reply, his curiosity
having been tweaked.You ready to start, Fred?
Yes I am, answered Fred walking over to the slide projector and turning it
on. Magnus switched off the lights. Human powered flight, he began,
throwing up an image of Icarus, wings melting as he approached the Sun, has
been a dream of Mankind since time can be remembered. (a slide of a
Leonardo engraving) At first people watched birds and thought of ways of
building machines that could imitate them. Interestingly enough it was
Leonardo da Vinciwho came the closest to proposing a viable possibility even
though he was much earlier than many who suggested much less feasible
solutions. He was born in Italy in 1452 and made this sketch around 1506 about
thirteen years before he died. He also made this engraving which I will come
back to later. (a slide of the well known figure of a man with outstretched armsfitting exactly into a circle)
A century after Leonardo, another brilliant Italian named Giovanni
Alphonso Borelli was born in Naples in 1608. He is widely acknowledged as the
father of modern Bio-mechanics because of his posthumously published work
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De Motu Animalium in 1680 (A slide of an engraving showing levers, beams
and birds in cross-section.) A lesser known aspect of this work however is that
he demonstrated that for a man to fly like a bird he would need a hundred and
eighty centimetre long breast bone and one sixth of his body weight in Pectoral
muscles. Thats those big bulging muscles on your chest Alex.
Thanks Fred. I dont have very many muscles so I tend to know the names
of the ones I do have. responded the amused Alex, warming to Fred.Great Alex, thatll save some time. Now. What Borelli said was
approximately true in one way, but not in another. All kinds of things fly with
no muscles at all, leaves, dandelion seeds and Frisbees. What he meant was that
to be able to get off the ground and fly at will - with no reliance on the wind or
thermals or gliding from a height - then you would need a lot more muscle than
we have at our disposal and they would have to be arranged in very different
ways.
Our story now takes us a little further north to Switzerland where we have
the Bernoullis family in the eighteenth century. We focus in particular on Daniel
Bernoullis and his famous work Hydrodynamica which he completed in 1734.
Before this, people thought - rather logically I might add - that ships sailed on a
sea of water and bird sailed on a sea of air. The cross-section of a wing thereforeshould be like that of a boat, that is round on the bottom. (A slide of the two
brothers looking at a diagram of airflow over a wing.) Daniel showed that due
to fluid dynamics, the opposite was true. The true secret of flight was the
differential pressure resulting from air flowing over a wing with the camber on
the top. This is now common school physics but at the time it really was a
breakthrough.
Our next stop in history goes even further north to Yorkshire where a
certain baronet named Sir George Cayley became very interested in flight. He
was born in 1773 and had worked out the principles of fixed-wing aerodynamics
by the time he was in his early twenties. It was not until 1849 that he managed
to build a glider that carried a young boy from one side of a valley to another.
Four years later, he built a larger one that was able to do the same feat with hiselderly coachman.
From this point onwards we see a steady development of fixed wing
avionics with notable stars such as Germanys Otto Lilienthal, widely regarded
as the worlds first true aviator. He made over two thousand flights, some of
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them well over a quarter of a kilometre before he was killed in a flying accident
in 1898. (A slide of Lilienthal perched on a cliff top in a very beautiful early
version of a hang glider.)
Five years later came the famous flight at Kitty Hawk by the Wright
Brothers. Lilienthal - particularly bec