Chapter 125 [Next Night—Chandler's Field]
Clark sat by his telescope. He looked up toward Nocturne's starry blackness. He identified several potential constellations to talk about. So far, he saw Peter, Gwen, Jennifer and Dr. Dubois talking off to the side. Mr. Dubois (or actually he was once again Professor Dubois since he'd taken the Met U position) sat on a blanket with Jonathan and Martha. Chloe stood about twenty feet from Clark with Lana. Jasmine, Miranda and Lex watched on top of the windmill with binoculars.
Playing with your telescope again, Clark? You should know how to use it by now.
Clark rolled his eyes. He turned to find Lana watching him. I do look at the sky.
Among other things. Sauciness spread the smirk across her face. "There's a bus coming, Clark. Mr. Reynolds isn't going to let you off that easily."
"He wouldn't." Clark thought he saw lights on the road. "That might be them now." He pointed in that direction.
Sure enough, a yellow school bus pulled to a stop. The side doors opened. Reynolds got off first. He looked around. Then he ushered about a dozen students and their parents off of the bus. "Single file toward the windmill. You will find Mr. Kent waiting for you. I will be there with you." Once the group had left the bus, he led them across the field and toward the designated spot.
"Showtime, Clark." Lana needled him.
Clark shrugged. "Hi, Mr. Reynolds. We've got a great night. Don't we?"
"Indeed we do, Mr. Kent! I appreciate you doing this for the children." Approval came through in his face and the hint of a smile. He shook hands with Clark. "Impress me."
He just had to say that. Clark recalled everything he knew from his Loft-level explorations. He'd memorized Jor-El's and Jennifer's tips as well. "I'll do my best, Sir." He walked up to the group. "Hi, Everyone! I'm Clark. Glad you can be here. You know Astronomy is my favorite science. After the chores are done, I like to look up at the sky every night. I wonder what else is out there." He held up a manilla envelope. "I have some handouts." He handed a small stack of them to the first person. "Take one and hand the rest down the line. There should be twenty there." He waited while the handouts circulated around the group. The extras returned to him. "Thanks."
Over the next hour, Clark pointed to a planet, star or a whole constellation. He'd identify it. Then he went into some detail about it. If there was folklore attached, he'd talk about that too. As hands popped up, he took questions.
Toward the end of the session, a little red haired girl raised her hand. "Mr. Kent?"
"Yes?" Clark turned toward her. A smile spread across his face. He could see Interest across her face in Boredom's surrounding waters. "Meredith, you see something good up there?"
"Yes, Sir!" Meredith pointed skyward. "That red star up there. It flickers and shows really nice. What is it?"
Clark glanced at Jennifer. Do I?
Go ahead, Teach. Just be careful. Jennifer folded her arms across her chest.
Clark nodded. "Yes, Meredith. It sure does! That star is called Rao. It's from a system far far away."
"Sounds like Star Wars," a sandy-colored haired boy muttered to his friend.
"It is like Star Wars." Clark kept his patience. "That's a story about a galactic fight far away. Right? Who's to say we're the only life in the universe?"
"Yeah right." Sandy Hair scoffed.
"There is too!" A Native American girl argued. "Ralph Landers, you never read!"
"Oh here we go." Ralph rolled his eyes. "Penny's off on her legends again. Ooh! Tell us about we're dealing with things! You look at those dumb pictures!"
"They are not dumb!" Penny protested.
"That's right, Penny. They aren't." Clark stepped between them. "Ralph, right?"
"Yeah that's me." Ralph frowned.
"You like Star Wars, right?" Clark supposed.
"Yeah but that's just stories and stuff." Ralph snorted. "We're all the life there is."
"And how do you know that?" Irony weighed on Clark's mind. He recalled Jennifer's advice. "How do you know there aren't other planets out there that have some sort of life? It's a big universe out there. Just think about that. Okay?" He turned to Penny. "Thanks for standing up for the traditions and stories. That is very brave. Your people are important."
"Thanks, Mr. Kent. Don't want to take from Merri's question." Penny motioned back toward Meredith.
"I think this is neat! How do we know what's around that star, Ralph? Maybe we could have someone visit from there?" Meredith turned on her classmate. "Who knows? Maybe the guy from that legend's somewhere out there? Sorry, Penny. What's his name?"
"Numan. We're taking away from Mr. Kent, Merri." Penny motioned back toward Clark.
"No, Penny. It's okay. Meredith, tell us about Numan. What do you know about him?" Clark felt as if he was on an icy path. Insecurity took some of Resolve's focus. Still he pressed on.
"Thanks, Mr. Kent. Numan is supposed to fall from the sky in a ball of fire. He has the strength of ten men. He shoots fire from his eyes. He's supposed to save us from Segith the Evil One." Penny cleared her throat.
"That's awesome! Well told! I'll have to let Chief Willowbrook know that you told the story like that." Clark grinned at her.
"Miss Kyla told me. I miss her." Penny bowed his head.
Clark nodded. For a split second, he could see the deceased Cowache maiden in his mind's eye. His breath caught in his throat. "Kyla was our friend too. We discovered the caves together. And one thing she stood for was respect between all peoples. You be proud of your culture. You remember the stories and keep passing them on."
Among the adults and teens, there wasn't a dry eye to be had in that clearing. Clark's point resonated with their hearts and minds. Their heads nodded. Smiles creased their faces. Approval definitely lit up that field.
Lana rubbed the bracelet. She glanced up at the sky. I'll take care of our Star Traveler. Thanks, Kyla. You aren't forgotten. If you want to come by, you're welcome! Her eyes glistened. A big grin spread across her face.
Chloe typed the sentiment into her notes. Posterity would know that comment both for the immediate session and as part of the Planet's piece about the internship program on the whole.
"Thanks, Mr. Kent." Penny smiled back. She squeezed his hand.
"Not a problem." Clark looked around. "Any other questions? That's all I have for tonight. If you'd like to talk some more, my email's on the handout. Thank you all for coming out. Have a great night."
The parents came forward. One by one, they shook hands with Clark. They complimented him on his presentation and for the insights. Then they filtered back toward the bus.
Penny talked with her parents. Then she brought them up to Clark. "Mr. Kent, these are my folks."
"Hi, Sir, Ma 'am." Clark shook their hands. "I appreciate you bringing Penny tonight. She's really great."
"Thank you, Mr. Kent. Not many value our customs even on the reservation." A slender woman with dark hair and eyes frowned. "For a white man to make that statement, it is appreciated. The Chief said you were like this."
"They should be remembered. Hey! Maybe Penny might be the one to record those legends? We can never know. She's smart and talented." Clark shrugged. His eyes shone warmly into Penny's. "And I will be in touch with Chief Willowbrook."
"Mr. Kent, I do not wish him to be bothered by a kid like me." Penny sighed.
"Bothered? What?" Clark protested. "He's really into tribal history and culture! He'd love to hear about this! I'll put it in the right way."
"Besides he has a driven copy editor." Chloe came up to them. "I'm Chloe Sullivan for the Smallville High Torch. Can I interview your parents and you for the write up about tonight's session? I can give you a ride back to the reservation."
"We would like that." A strapping man with a red flannel shirt and a padded vest agreed. "Penny likes her cocoa. Too bad the Talon's closed in town."
"It just happens there's plenty of cocoa and treats in there." Lana chimed in. She got on her phone."Lex, think we can open the Talon for a quick cocoa?"
"I don't see why not. Let me call Mr. Reynolds." Lex hung up and then made another call. "Mr. Reynolds, it's Lex. We're opening the Talon for some cookies and cocoa on the house. Think you can follow us over there? Clark wants to talk more with everyone. It might make for a better write up on Chloe's part for the Torch."
"Just a minute." Reynolds asked the parents on the bus. "All right, Lex. We shall meet you there. Thank you."
Lex dialed his phone one last time. "We're on for the Talon. Let's get everything on Clark's truck. Then we can head over there." He hung up. "This was definitely a great night." The Smirk spread across his face.
It was a great night all around….