Chapter 9
"Ok," I said, "there are some things we need to work out."
"Right," Jessica said, "we have to remain undetected. If the Yeerks find out who we are and what we know, we're worse than dead. So there have got to be some rules. First, we can't use our real names in action. Code names are in order. Now, these code names can't be things that obviously reflect who we are. So if Nathaniel's favorite movie is National Lampoon's Animal House, I'm afraid he still can't use Bluto, as it's his last name. That's sort of a silly example, but you get the idea. Also, Tyrone can't use Pyro, since everybody who knows him knows that he is one." Tyrone looked like he was about to contradict that last remark, then stopped and nodded his head, affirming it. Jessica went on, "but we don't have a set criteria for creating code names, so we will tell you that you can choose your own. Joseph will be November, because he was born in November. My code name is The Wanderer, because..." Harold cut her off,
"because you're Jewish," he said."
"Ok," she replied, "I'll bite..how did you know?"
"It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to notice your holiday decorations," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Fair enough," she said, "does anyone know what they want their code name to be?" No one answered, "alright," she said, "we'll give you some time to think about that...in the meantime, we have devised a system of hand signals for numbers, one through five are the regular symbols that everyone knows. Six is this..." she held up her hand with her index finger and thumb pressed together, like the OK sign, "this..." she made a sign that was basically the same, but with her middle finger held to her thumb, "is seven, eight is like so," this time her ring finger met her thumb, "and nine, of all things, looks like this," she put her pinky to her thumb, "one through five will always be held with your palm toward you. Six through nine will always be with your palm out, toward the person recieving the signal. Finally, zero is this," she made a fist, "simple enough, I think."
"Why do we need hand signals for numbers?" Tyrone asked.
"In case we need to communicate some complex number code without being heard. Like a security code. We only use one hand because we don't want to give the signals over our head, as that would be too conspicuous. We need to give the signals discreetly, at our sides, and obviously visuals will not always be optimum for both sides."
"Ah."
"Anyway...there are still more things to be worked out, so we'd better get started..."
"Ok," I said, "there are some things we need to work out."
"Right," Jessica said, "we have to remain undetected. If the Yeerks find out who we are and what we know, we're worse than dead. So there have got to be some rules. First, we can't use our real names in action. Code names are in order. Now, these code names can't be things that obviously reflect who we are. So if Nathaniel's favorite movie is National Lampoon's Animal House, I'm afraid he still can't use Bluto, as it's his last name. That's sort of a silly example, but you get the idea. Also, Tyrone can't use Pyro, since everybody who knows him knows that he is one." Tyrone looked like he was about to contradict that last remark, then stopped and nodded his head, affirming it. Jessica went on, "but we don't have a set criteria for creating code names, so we will tell you that you can choose your own. Joseph will be November, because he was born in November. My code name is The Wanderer, because..." Harold cut her off,
"because you're Jewish," he said."
"Ok," she replied, "I'll bite..how did you know?"
"It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to notice your holiday decorations," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Fair enough," she said, "does anyone know what they want their code name to be?" No one answered, "alright," she said, "we'll give you some time to think about that...in the meantime, we have devised a system of hand signals for numbers, one through five are the regular symbols that everyone knows. Six is this..." she held up her hand with her index finger and thumb pressed together, like the OK sign, "this..." she made a sign that was basically the same, but with her middle finger held to her thumb, "is seven, eight is like so," this time her ring finger met her thumb, "and nine, of all things, looks like this," she put her pinky to her thumb, "one through five will always be held with your palm toward you. Six through nine will always be with your palm out, toward the person recieving the signal. Finally, zero is this," she made a fist, "simple enough, I think."
"Why do we need hand signals for numbers?" Tyrone asked.
"In case we need to communicate some complex number code without being heard. Like a security code. We only use one hand because we don't want to give the signals over our head, as that would be too conspicuous. We need to give the signals discreetly, at our sides, and obviously visuals will not always be optimum for both sides."
"Ah."
"Anyway...there are still more things to be worked out, so we'd better get started..."
