“Ok, gentlemen, and ladies,” Oscar said, nodding first at the boys, and then at Sue and Jullia. “I have good news, and gooder news. The good news,” he said, reaching onto his table and handing something to Frank, “is that you are getting your first checks. It’s been a month and I am cutting you each a thousand dollar check.”
“Stars and comets!” Seth said, holding it up to the light as if trying to see a watermark.
“Now, that’s not a bunch of money for the time you have been putting in, but things are looking up and upper. We are routinely getting ten thousand views for our videos, more for the interviews. I’ve had to turn down three interviews with other podcasts so far, I don’t think you lot are quite ready for that.”
“Wow!” Jullia said. “You all are doing good! Ten thousand views.”
“We’re shooting for a hundred thousand views,” George said.
“Wow!”
“Now for the gooder news. I think we are ready to move beyond training wheels. I’ve got some real jobs lined up for you. Ones that should pay game gold, and attract lots of views.”
“What do you have?” Frank asked, leaning forward, and barely managing to remember that this was all being recorded.
“Patience, patience, glorious leader,” Oscar said. “I’m not going to give away too much. But the first one is a road clearing operation. Not of trees, either, but of squirrels.”
“Squirrels?” Julia and Sue managed to say at the same time.
“Murder squirrels,” Seth said.
“Not so much,” Oscar said. “The squirrels are not so much dangerous as seriously annoying. They must have cross bred with pack rats at some point in the not so distant past. They are quick, stealthy, live in trees, eat nuts, and steal everything that isn’t tied down. And some stuff that is.”
“So the company that wishes to build the road, so another company can build a mine… or mine a mine or whatever… can’t do their work. These squirrels steal their axes! Let alone their food, clothing… as I say, anything that isn’t tied down.”
He looked at Seth, “So this is your time to shine. You will have to shoot them out of the trees, after you find them. The others will be coming along to keep you safe.”
“Oh!” Seth said. “Oh, umm, thank you.”
“Hey, we each have our role. And there are other monsters. The boars are the worst. Not only fast and strong and deadly, but they have an uncanny ability to charge out of the bushes…”
“You all are coming over to my house,” Jullia said, as they left the office. My mother is making a huge meal of spaghettis. Red sauce, clam sauce, cheese sauce…”
“And of course my father and brother are prepared to make you earn it.”
Seth groaned, but they all followed her over to her house. They had started keeping spare shorts there, so everyone was soon dressed. Seth still found it odd that Jullia always wore a baggy sweatshirt over her shorts.
And he was amazed at the progress that they were all making. The Browns had forced them over more and more, and they each had had a regime tailored to them.
Sue was still pretty much just using the treadmill, on its ‘variety’ setting, with Jullia pounding away next to her. But she was using it longer and longer, and at a faster, but still walking, speed.
George was still pulling various cords in varioius directions, as well as doing pull ups and push ups.
But Frank and Seth had both been given an enormous variety of excercises and weights and all. Seth almost didn’t feel embarassed working out with his shirt off now. He was getting more and more defined all the time. And certainly Jullia never complained.
They worked out a good two hours and then took turns in the shower, and then they all moved into the great room with its enormous table and buffet. And, sure enough, there were several varieties of noodles and sauce.
“I’m in heaven!” Seth said, as they all formed a line to get their food. Julia came up along side him and took him by the waist, her hand a bit low. After a brief, nervous, glance at her brother and father, he said, “I’m seriously in heaven,” and turned and kissed her.
Which seemed to take him more by surprise than it did her, but as soon as he turned toward her she turned away, grinning, and patting him.
“Smooth move,” Frank whispered as the two of them walked toward an empty spot at the table, while Jullia’s brother told this story about a hunt he had gone on.
“Do you think so?” Seth asked. He was seriously confused. “She kissed me back… I mean, seriously.”
“We all saw that.”
“But then she pulled away.”
“She has certain boundaries.”
“Well, I can’t figure them out!”
“Well, her front?”
“I guess.”
“I mean, the baggy sweatshirt?”
“All right you two, stop gossiping,” Mr Brown said. “I do have news for you. A friend of mine from the army, retired a couple of years ago, wants to come over and work out with us some, and he’s an expert in unarmed combat, and I’ve got him to agree to teach you lot some. Even you two, Jullia and Sue. He has some moves just for women worked out… dirty blows for a deadly situation, he calls them. I’ve arranged for him to come by when you lot get done your interviews, Jullia got us the schedule. So hurry on over here right afterwards. You boys should just work in your shorts, but you, Sue, should bring a variety of clothes, so he can teach you what to do. He says that he will bring some too, good for getting out of grabs and all… clothes he doesn’t mind if they get ripped.”
“Oh, father, that must be such a bother for him…” Jullia said.
“No, not at all. He’s going to be setting up his own workshop… that’s what he calls it.. and wants you lot as his first adverisement. But please make sure you come since he will be making a special trip…”
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Von