Science Fiction for Young Readers, grade 4 up
Story by Terry Gibson ©

     The wind had risen to storm levels 
while they talked, with gusts that rattled 
the shutters at the sides of their window.  
Their silence made even small sounds 
audible, but because it matched their mood, 
it went unnoticed.
     It was unthinkable what lies and gossip 
had done to poor Mr. Player.  They were 
overwhelmed with the hopelessness of it all.


     Tabitha thought of the classes where 
democracy and majority rule had been 
presented as the best of all ways to be 
governed.  Now she wondered.  What she was 
seeing in real life was great for the 
majority, but what about the minority?  
Only if there is truth, is it fair for them.  
Does Prejudice happen where by popular 
opinion, people make "truth" out of fiction?  
     What then, is Truth?
  
     Is it what people SAY? 
     Tears were flowing down her cheeks 
but she did not notice them.  No one could
possibly be more innocent than he was.  
Yet he would pay a terrible price....
     His soft voice reached her.  "Yes, Tab, 
I know.  They fired me, but so far, only 
from classroom work.  I will have "other 
duties." You'll have Mr. --what was it?--Mr. 
Dooley for the rest of the year."  Almost 
to himself, he added, "If they have their 
way I will never teach again, not anywhere."
     "But you're the best teacher I ever 
had!"
     "Thank you, Tabitha."  He sighed.  
"I may need you to speak for me in court."
     "They won't believe me.  I float too, 
in fact, I'd get in trouble if I floated in 
court, wouldn't I?"
     "Ask me!"  All excited, Gregory saw a 
way he could help.  "I've known about it 
for a long time and I've seen how strong 
the force is.  And I DON'T float!"
     His mother just shook her head.  No 
one had told her.  "You would testify?"
     "I have to testify!"
     "If this hardship comes," JP said with 
a faint smile, "it will mean we were meant 
for other things.  That's all."
     "But what will you do?"
     "Not 'will', but what would I like to 
do?  Be a tourist guide on the lakes around 
here in season, Greggy.  I'd like that.  
And write books about it.  I've taught for 
twenty years; there'll be a small pension 
to keep me from starving.  In the winters, 
there's ice-fishing, taking city groups out.  
Peaceful stuff." He laughed dryly.  "Fish 
are so quiet."
     "And they are in schools..."
     Greg's mother broke in.  "I'd say you 
are ready for a microwaved dinner plate, 
right?"
     "If we can keep our sense of humour,
we'll be all right," he said as he handed 
his plate for reheating. "With a little 
help from my friends."

                        
     Tab was floating curled up in a ball, 
with her arms around her shins, about eye-
level.  They didn't even seem to find it 
odd anymore.  
    JP was telling about the meeting in the 
principal's inner office.  "I have never 
been an inarticulate man, but I had nothing 
to say."
     Tab asked, "You said nothing?"
    "Who'd have believed me?  Actually, it 
wasn't all bad.  Mrs. Benny praised my 
Phys.Ed. classes."  He stopped.
     "Coffee?" Mother asked, holding out 
the carafe.
     "Later, thanks.  Mostly it was bad.  
Even our Federation rep., there to help me, 
asked what had really gone on between Tab 
and me.  I could see the disgust on his 
face as he looked at me."  
      He held out his cup.  "Changed my 
mind."
     The coffee pouring routine let him 
think whether or not to tell about Mrs. 
Gunner.  "Since you'll probably be reading 
all the lurid details in the BUGLE, I guess 
you might as well hear it from me," finally 
he said.  "Mrs. Gunner would say a mother 
diapering her baby....well, she sees sin 
where none ever existed. She's the one who 
put it into words: 'Can we trust him with 
our children?'  The others took my silence 
as guilt.  Fact was, she had brought in a 
petition with I-don't-know-how-many 
signatures of people who wouldn't trust me 
with their herd of sheep!"
     Heavy sigh.  Tab's mother said,  
"I call Mrs. Gunner 'the bulldozer.'"
     "You'd understand then, why I felt 
defeated before I ever began.  I hate 
fighting."  He sipped coffee which had 
lost its taste.  "The doubt had been 
stated, and it stunk.  I saw that our 
esteemed Mr. Saxon had closed his mind 
around the stench.  He wants to be 
elected in the next federal elections, 
and wants no scandal in his own back yard."
     When JP considered what the tabloids 
would do with it, and how terrible that 
would be for Tabitha, he knew what he had 
to do.  "Anyhow," he continued, "I don't 
want a foul mess of publicity where we 
cannot win, and will quietly leave."
     "With your good name gone," Mother 
said.
     "Yes.  It's too late to worry about 
that. Those who know me won't be fooled.  
Those who don't, don't matter."
     Nodding her support, Mother was quiet, 
but Tab felt sick.


     Silence continued until JP spoke 
again.  "Of course, they may still lay 
charges too.  I don't know yet."
     "But what about me?  Won't they think 
I am a-- ?"  She whispered the word but 
they heard it.
     "Tabitha!"
     "No, Mom, I mean it.  How can we NOT
fight?  I don't care if it stinks up the 
universe, but I am innocent, and so is he!  
It's not my fault if that woman has a 
dirty mind, but she can't run this world!"
     "Bravo, Tabitha!"  He shook his head. 
If only it were so simple. Almost all guilty 
people claim they are innocent; but doesn't 
the law say we are all innocent until proven 
guilty?  
     He took a deep breath and said, "You 
are talking about a very expensive libel suit.  
I had already considered that.  It's hard to
prove. Since there seem to be hundreds of 
people willing to sign a petition that will 
put me behind bars I'd say we haven't a hope 
in this venue-- ah, in this town."
     He took another sip of his coffee.
     "Don't think I haven't thought about 
this. I am trapped.  Trapped between self-
preservation, and on a higher plane, the 
integrity of who I am."
     Silence followed.  

                         
     Tab had to go and finish up her science 
fair presentation.  She smiled a secret 
little smile as she asked to be excused and 
went upstairs.  What an incredibly awesome 
idea she had for her demo of flight!  
Floating and sinking in all the right places, 
now that she knew so many words that worked 
without giving away the secret.  She'd be 
like a puppet bouncing without strings, it 
could be hilariously funny at the finals, 
but to take it outside to show its power....  
     All she needed now was perfect timing, 
help from Greggy and Mr. P.  and good weather.  
If all went well, how could it fail?  
     She'd ask Mrs. Mallow.... 
     She HAD to catch the headlines.  
As her last chance, it had to be GOOD.

                         
     Greggy left too, but he stopped on the
landing again to find out what he might 
overhear.
     Left alone in the kitchen his mother 
and JP sat at the table with yet another cup
of coffee.  There was a long silence.
     Greggy figured that neither knew how to
begin.  He was probably right because they
both spoke at once.  They laughed.  
     Again, both tried, and laughed. "Ladies 
first," he said.
     "So, you enjoy walking in the mud?"  
Greggy didn't know how sweetly she had 
smiled.
     "That's how it turned out.  I was in 
no mood for company when I left."  The 
principal's office, Greggy figured.
     "Where's your car?"
     "Parking lot at school.  I suppose it 
doesn't belong there anymore.  Ah, there's 
Muffet."
     "He never does that," his mother said, 
and Greggy wondered what Muffet had done.  
Actually, the cat had stretched out full 
length over Mr. P's feet, flowing himself 
around their contours.  There was some 
soft talk he couldn't hear; then JP said,
"He's asleep!"
     "I am amazed," Mother said.  "He 
doesn't behave like that even with members 
of the family!"
     "He does keep my feet warm."
     "I'd call it a vote of confidence.  
They spoke in such low tones that Greggy 
couldn't hear what was being said.  
However, things seemed to be going well.


     If Greg could have seen into the
kitchen, he'd have seen their mother 
listening with a strange expression on her 
face.  Choked back as she was, there was 
nothing she could say, but her eyes spoke 
for her more eloquently than words could 
have done.
     There was no way out for him, but 
sharing it had helped him more than she 
knew.  He bent over to stroke Muffet, who 
stretched, and then went off in search of 
his bowl.

                         
     Bored after a while, Greggy suggested 
they go down for a hot chocolate or 
something.
     "Wait till you see what Tab's 
planning to do at the science fair!" Greg 
announced as they burst into the kitchen.
     "She has a spectacular demonstration, 
does she?"
     Mom was making conversation but Tab 
replied seriously, "Spectacular is the 
right word.  Can you come and see it too, 
Mr. Player?"
     "I supposed since the general public 
is invited, they can't keep me away.  I'll 
be there."
     "Then, would you please stay near the 
front door and help me with something?"
     "If I can...  What will I do?"
     "You'll see.  I want it to be a 
surprise for everybody."
     "Including your mother?"  Mom passed 
the cookies but no one took any.
     "Especially you!"  Tab laughed.  There 
was no way her mother was going to spoil 
this by forbidding the display of power.
     "Well, I don't know..."
     "Mom, trust me."
     "She's going for the top prize," 
Greggy said and Tabitha laughed.  TOP?  
How true, she thought.  "I've worked really 
hard on it."  She told more about it, along 
with some of the demonstrations she planned 
to do.  No hint of the surprise, "How could 
it be a surprise if I told you about it?"
     With a few qualms, her mother had to 
agree.  The discussion continued until the 
children's bedtime.
     At the door, JP's thanks included more 
than supper and cups of coffee.  No longer 
alone, he might even survive it now.

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