Claimer: I own Deanna, Ms Fox, and Robert not to mention this whole story
line. So please no copying.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, or any of its story's or characters. So don't sue cause I never said I did and you'll lose.
Author's Pre Notes: I must say I was disappointed in the number of reviews that I got for my last chapter. I had expected more and with more detail. I thank everyone who did send me some, they mean a lot. For the rest of you please review it matters what you think. Be specific, so go and review review REVIEW!!!
Marguerite sat next to Roxton's bed and ferociously rejected Deanna or anyone else trying to get her away.
Roxton began to stir awake in the middle of the night, Marguerite held her breath, but he turned over and went back to sleep.
A few tears slid down Marguerite's face in the dark. She watched him as he slept, so calm, his course features soft and even more gentle then she ever wished to imagine they could be. She watched as his eyes squinted hard and he stirred again clearly dreaming.
"Marguerite" he whispered and his body relaxed falling into a deep sleep again.
Her face pouted tears flowing from her eyes, she was so close to losing it but she was afraid she would wake him.
"I am always here," she whispered through silent sobs. "As long as it doesn't hurt you I'll be her, I'll be right here"
Dawn . . . .
It was somewhat late in the morning when Roxton began to wake up. Marguerite who had at present been dosing shot awake.
Roxton rubbed his head and turned over and jumped surprised to see Marguerite next to his bed, concern streaked across her exhausted face.
"Marguerite?" He said looking around confused not knowing why she would be there, why he was where he was. Then as he looked at her he remember what had happened in the library.
"Roxton are you alright?" she said her voice shaking.
"Yes of course, hungry but I'm fine," he said reaching for her face. She moved away, sadness in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry Roxton," she said looking away.
"For what?" he said confused looking concerned.
(Deanna, Robert and Malone walk in with a bowl of food and seeing them quickly walk out shutting the door, knowing that was not the time for them to be there. They chuckled embarrassed to each other and walk away from the door-for now.)
"For everything! For running away, for fighting, for not trying harder to contact you guys for-" she thought of how guilty she was. She wiped the tears away viciously that were gathering in her eyes.
Roxton just watched in surprise and horror as all of the words came spilling out of her mouth.
"Marguerite-Marguerite-shh" he said taking her hand that was waving through the air, animating her torment.
She looked away from him, 'Again emotional, oh! Why am I doing this' she screamed in her head, as she gained control of her actions.
"It's not your fault, none of this is your fault, -if anyone is at fault here it's me."
"You!" she said shaking her head
"I was completely out of line with what I said back at the tree house,"
"Yes you were," she blurted out some of her anger returning
"Yes I was," he just repeated trying not to get into another argument.
The he looked at her his eyes so full of despair; "I'm so sorry Marguerite" he reached for her face again.
"I know," she said softly looking to him with remorse in her eyes.
He could tell she didn't want to talk about the argument so he didn't say anything more of it. But another thought started gnawing at him.
Marguerite could see it on his face.
"What is it John, do you feel alright?" she asked concerned
"Yes-yes I'm fine it's just" he didn't want to say it, "I shot you" he said ashamed and put his head in his hands.
She looked at him a content smile on her face, "John" she said softly
"Oh Marguerite you have no idea how much I wish I-"
"John" she said pulling back his hands, "It wasn't your fault, and I'm fine there is nothing to feel so terrible about." Roxton thought he had never heard her voice so soft and kind before. It was like the most beautiful sound he would ever hear. But he knew that the wound of that act would take more time to heal on him then for her physical wound.
"Oh Marguerite," he said reaching over and hugging her burying his head in her shoulder.
"It's ok John it's ok" she said gently running her fingers over the back of his head.
And they sat like that for a few minutes.
"Something good did come of this though," said Marguerite changing the tone.
"What?" he said sitting back.
" We made some new friends-who can come in now!" she said a little louder talking at the door.
Roxton looked over surprised.
The door creaked open revealing Deanna, Veronica, Malone, with Robert and Challenger leaning over behind them.
They had innocent looks on their faces and Deanna just shrugged.
Marguerite rolled her eyes.
They all came in. "How are you feeling old boy?" asked
Challenger.
"Alright, but hungry"
"I'm on it," said Deanna leaving the room.
Veronica looked at him, a told you so showing all over her features.
Roxton just shrugged smiling innocently
Deanna returned with some very delicious looking food.
They set the food on a makeshift tray and told him to eat.
He was quite happy to oblige.
"Well-" started Challenger "I hate to spoil the mood, but as we- well Roxton suspected we have been royally had."
"Well I wouldn't really compare him to royalty" said Deanna sarcastically
"What do you mean Challenger?" asked Ned
Robert looked at Deanna who had her lips pursed in an annoyed pucker.
"Haiton." She started and as she suspected Robert grew serious and ridged again anger clear on his face.
"What about him?" asked Veronica
"How do I start this without prejudice, I can't" said Deanna "he is the biggest scoundrel, biggest rat, con-artist, selfish, horrid vindictive, -"
"Deanna" said Marguerite
"Quite-yes" she said regaining some of her composure, "well he runs a village of thieves and con-artists just like himself, they think that he is some type of god, no rather a messenger of their gods. So they follow him blindly. I feel very sorry for them."
"And they are enemies of the village around here" asked Veronica
"Yes, but it wasn't always that way." She said looking at Robert.
"Two and half years ago-" she started and he abruptly stood and walked out. She watched after him.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes, just some old memories uncovered again. Because you see-" she said turning back to them. "When he arrived on the plateau he wasn't alone. He was with his fiancé, but honestly I don't want for his sake to go into the details. But later on she got involved with someone else then Haiton's tribe began to move in on the Cyzan's land killing them mercilessly. I-" she took a breath she really didn't want to talk about this it was Robert's secret not hers.
"Can I have a minute please" she said and left the room.
They looked after her confused.
"Marguerite?" Roxton asked
"I really don't know," she said looking at them.
"Robert?" said Deanna meekly coming out onto the deck where he was sitting.
"Did you tell them?"
"I tried,"
"You tried?"
"I can't tell them, you know that."
He just stared out into the night sky.
"They need to know," he said not moving
"I think they do," she agreed
"You don't think it's over as far as Haiton and them?"
"I think he had his motives for deceiving them"
He exhaled hard, so much to relive so much pain and chaos.
"They are our friends," said Deanna trying to put his mind at ease
"We don't even know them"
"I know Marguerite, she trusts them, I trust them,"
He stood and turned to look at her.
Her heart melted and she walked over and hugged him. He put his face in her shoulder. They broke apart, he smiled gently and they walked back into the house.
Deanna walked back into the room and to some's surprise Robert walked in behind her.
"Where do I start?"
"From the beginning I think" said Deanna gently who then sat on the arm of the chair he was sitting in.
"I arrived on the plateau almost now three years ago, with my fiancé Elizabeth Carwel. Deanna found us and rescued us a few times and we lived with her for a while in this house. I spent a lot of my time in the village, and had a hut built for my own use. I was partial to the villagers because they did a lot for me when I first showed up, anyway Elizabeth told me she like the village to, that she like to shop or whatever, so we would go down together and I would go one way she another and would meet back at the house. Everything was fine for a little while. Then Eliza became dejected and nasty to Deanna, she spent more and more time on her own at the village although I never saw her there, Then the attacks started. Haiton's warriors were invading, killing everyone. Eliza didn't seem to care, where Deanna and I were each a wreck working hard to stop the chaos and destruction." He took a deep breath and Deanna unconsciously gently put a hand on his back. "Eliza told Deanna and the chief of the tribe she had met someone in the jungle who could stop the attacks and took Deanna one day to meet him. It was an ambush, Deanna came running back to the village literally torn apart." He put his head in his hand a minute "She looked like she had been tortured. There was still a man on her tail, who she tripped in a last attempt to stop him from reaching her before she got to the village. Then she stumbled in and fell literally at the chief's feet as she entered his tent. Some of the natives had grabbed the man who was following her and tied him in a tent for interrogation. I didn't see Eliza though, I frantically asked Deanna where she was, she spit at me and told me that it had all been a set up. I could believe that, we interrogated the man who told us a different story, one that I choose to believe. That she had been captured and wouldn't be released till Deanna and the chief went alone with him to make a deal. The natives didn't like that but the chief went along with it. Deanna stifled her injures and packed to go. Everything appeared as the man said, and so when we got there Elizabeth appeared to be tied and waiting to be rescued, she called out my name. We were told to release the man, so I did. The moment I did the man grabbed Deanna and shoved her foreword onto the floor. A group of warriors grabbed her off the ground and quickly disarmed her. I looked back to see the chief in a similar position. I turned to Eliza who was clearly free and in control. 'What's going on I screamed' she just laughed at me and went over into the embrace of some burly native adorned with jewels, his name was Talcol he was their king. Next to the man stood a similar looking man, his brother Haiton.
Robert's memory . . . . ..
"It's quite simple," said the Talcol to the chief "In exchange for your land and your people, you get your life and we will stop attacking."
The chief was furious, "You want to enslave all of my people, I will not hear of it"
"Then you die," said Talcol "And we enslave them anyway and take your land and mine it for all it is worth"
"Mine it?"
"Yes," said Elizabeth "The land you are on is just saturated in minerasl and jewels, the greatest wealth right under your noses and you scuffed it away."
"And what do you get out of this!" Deanna snapped
"And you haven't figured it out, for shame my dear I thought you were smarter than that"
"What are you talking about Elizabeth!" Robert yelled
"What is the title Lady going to do me here, especially when I can be queen."
"What! SO This is all about money?!"
"It was always about money, you never figured it out you were to busy with you learning and your books, you didn't notice me taking your money, cheating on you with men richer than you, trying to find a better offer and I had one then you got us stuck in this god forsaken place! But all for the better, for now I am queen and you are expendable." She laughed maliciously.
Robert stood there stunned, destroyed, how did he miss this, how could he love someone so shallow and horrible with no regard for another person's life.
Deanna struggling against the warriors as they brought her over toward Haiton brought him from his daze.
"What are doing with her?!" the Chief demanded
"A little insurance, that you don't rebel on us," smirked Talcol.
"Yes I thought Talcol's brother needed a bride, helping set this up and all, and he became quite taken with you my dear" she said coming over Deanna, "You lucky woman" Deanna spit in her face. "Vapid bitch!!"
"You've been controlling this the whole time!" he screamed . . .. Robert said and came back to the present stopping his words remembering that part of the day.
"Anyway" he continued to explain to his friends "We escaped but it resulted in war. This led to war throughout the two lands, later on Talcol and Elizabeth were killed, crushed by a landslide during a battle. Haiton became the leader and the villages became vicious enemies. They were losing the war so it ended with an agreement that Haiton and his warriors were to never come near Deanna or the Cyzan's land ever again, and we would stop the war. Now he has a destroyed village and nothing to rebuild it with."
"That's not true his greed and pride keep him from rebuilding," said Deanna
"So why would he deceive us?" asked Roxton
"Because Dakou and his group, they saw me with Marguerite, they saw me kill that man who had her by the hair. And I honestly have no doubt you made friendly conversations and he figured he had something of value to earn. Beside if you came in blowing bells and whistles the way you did he most likely figured you'd cause and uprising, and as Challenger informed me, you were to take Robert and I back to him. The villagers would find out and send warriors after us and the war would begin again."
She chuckled a second. "Challenger also told me, that he had you believe I was Demon," she laughed again.
"I'm sorry it's just so funny"
"Apparently someone took a nick name a little to far." Said Marguerite
"What?"
"At their first encounter one warrior called Deanna a demon, she sarcastically said 'something like that' and shot after him as he ran" she explained
"So instead of Deanna they refer to me as Demon, kind gets ya right her" she said hand over her heart.
"Then what do we do now?" asked Roxton
"Just ignore him, hopefully he'll go away" said Marguerite
"Fat chance but that's as good as plan as any. It's not like there is a reason that you have to go back to him." Said Deanna.
They all agreed.
Robert sat still thinking about that memory, those days, those people of her. It caused him so much pain to think of her. He hated her now and yet he loved her- and at the same time hated her because of his feeling for someone else and what could have happened and what did. He just could never feel better about those days about those memories he wondered it he ever would.
Deanna was unconscious rhythmically rubbing his back, feeling his pain.
Author's Notes: I apologize for any typos to tired to keeping looking for them. I hope everyone is beginning to understand the plot please tell me if you don't I'll try and clarify. But please review and be specific about what you find interesting or what you like!!!! PLEASE REVIEW
REVIEWS ARE MOTIVATING . . . . . . . . . .
Disclaimer: I don't own Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, or any of its story's or characters. So don't sue cause I never said I did and you'll lose.
Author's Pre Notes: I must say I was disappointed in the number of reviews that I got for my last chapter. I had expected more and with more detail. I thank everyone who did send me some, they mean a lot. For the rest of you please review it matters what you think. Be specific, so go and review review REVIEW!!!
Marguerite sat next to Roxton's bed and ferociously rejected Deanna or anyone else trying to get her away.
Roxton began to stir awake in the middle of the night, Marguerite held her breath, but he turned over and went back to sleep.
A few tears slid down Marguerite's face in the dark. She watched him as he slept, so calm, his course features soft and even more gentle then she ever wished to imagine they could be. She watched as his eyes squinted hard and he stirred again clearly dreaming.
"Marguerite" he whispered and his body relaxed falling into a deep sleep again.
Her face pouted tears flowing from her eyes, she was so close to losing it but she was afraid she would wake him.
"I am always here," she whispered through silent sobs. "As long as it doesn't hurt you I'll be her, I'll be right here"
Dawn . . . .
It was somewhat late in the morning when Roxton began to wake up. Marguerite who had at present been dosing shot awake.
Roxton rubbed his head and turned over and jumped surprised to see Marguerite next to his bed, concern streaked across her exhausted face.
"Marguerite?" He said looking around confused not knowing why she would be there, why he was where he was. Then as he looked at her he remember what had happened in the library.
"Roxton are you alright?" she said her voice shaking.
"Yes of course, hungry but I'm fine," he said reaching for her face. She moved away, sadness in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry Roxton," she said looking away.
"For what?" he said confused looking concerned.
(Deanna, Robert and Malone walk in with a bowl of food and seeing them quickly walk out shutting the door, knowing that was not the time for them to be there. They chuckled embarrassed to each other and walk away from the door-for now.)
"For everything! For running away, for fighting, for not trying harder to contact you guys for-" she thought of how guilty she was. She wiped the tears away viciously that were gathering in her eyes.
Roxton just watched in surprise and horror as all of the words came spilling out of her mouth.
"Marguerite-Marguerite-shh" he said taking her hand that was waving through the air, animating her torment.
She looked away from him, 'Again emotional, oh! Why am I doing this' she screamed in her head, as she gained control of her actions.
"It's not your fault, none of this is your fault, -if anyone is at fault here it's me."
"You!" she said shaking her head
"I was completely out of line with what I said back at the tree house,"
"Yes you were," she blurted out some of her anger returning
"Yes I was," he just repeated trying not to get into another argument.
The he looked at her his eyes so full of despair; "I'm so sorry Marguerite" he reached for her face again.
"I know," she said softly looking to him with remorse in her eyes.
He could tell she didn't want to talk about the argument so he didn't say anything more of it. But another thought started gnawing at him.
Marguerite could see it on his face.
"What is it John, do you feel alright?" she asked concerned
"Yes-yes I'm fine it's just" he didn't want to say it, "I shot you" he said ashamed and put his head in his hands.
She looked at him a content smile on her face, "John" she said softly
"Oh Marguerite you have no idea how much I wish I-"
"John" she said pulling back his hands, "It wasn't your fault, and I'm fine there is nothing to feel so terrible about." Roxton thought he had never heard her voice so soft and kind before. It was like the most beautiful sound he would ever hear. But he knew that the wound of that act would take more time to heal on him then for her physical wound.
"Oh Marguerite," he said reaching over and hugging her burying his head in her shoulder.
"It's ok John it's ok" she said gently running her fingers over the back of his head.
And they sat like that for a few minutes.
"Something good did come of this though," said Marguerite changing the tone.
"What?" he said sitting back.
" We made some new friends-who can come in now!" she said a little louder talking at the door.
Roxton looked over surprised.
The door creaked open revealing Deanna, Veronica, Malone, with Robert and Challenger leaning over behind them.
They had innocent looks on their faces and Deanna just shrugged.
Marguerite rolled her eyes.
They all came in. "How are you feeling old boy?" asked
Challenger.
"Alright, but hungry"
"I'm on it," said Deanna leaving the room.
Veronica looked at him, a told you so showing all over her features.
Roxton just shrugged smiling innocently
Deanna returned with some very delicious looking food.
They set the food on a makeshift tray and told him to eat.
He was quite happy to oblige.
"Well-" started Challenger "I hate to spoil the mood, but as we- well Roxton suspected we have been royally had."
"Well I wouldn't really compare him to royalty" said Deanna sarcastically
"What do you mean Challenger?" asked Ned
Robert looked at Deanna who had her lips pursed in an annoyed pucker.
"Haiton." She started and as she suspected Robert grew serious and ridged again anger clear on his face.
"What about him?" asked Veronica
"How do I start this without prejudice, I can't" said Deanna "he is the biggest scoundrel, biggest rat, con-artist, selfish, horrid vindictive, -"
"Deanna" said Marguerite
"Quite-yes" she said regaining some of her composure, "well he runs a village of thieves and con-artists just like himself, they think that he is some type of god, no rather a messenger of their gods. So they follow him blindly. I feel very sorry for them."
"And they are enemies of the village around here" asked Veronica
"Yes, but it wasn't always that way." She said looking at Robert.
"Two and half years ago-" she started and he abruptly stood and walked out. She watched after him.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes, just some old memories uncovered again. Because you see-" she said turning back to them. "When he arrived on the plateau he wasn't alone. He was with his fiancé, but honestly I don't want for his sake to go into the details. But later on she got involved with someone else then Haiton's tribe began to move in on the Cyzan's land killing them mercilessly. I-" she took a breath she really didn't want to talk about this it was Robert's secret not hers.
"Can I have a minute please" she said and left the room.
They looked after her confused.
"Marguerite?" Roxton asked
"I really don't know," she said looking at them.
"Robert?" said Deanna meekly coming out onto the deck where he was sitting.
"Did you tell them?"
"I tried,"
"You tried?"
"I can't tell them, you know that."
He just stared out into the night sky.
"They need to know," he said not moving
"I think they do," she agreed
"You don't think it's over as far as Haiton and them?"
"I think he had his motives for deceiving them"
He exhaled hard, so much to relive so much pain and chaos.
"They are our friends," said Deanna trying to put his mind at ease
"We don't even know them"
"I know Marguerite, she trusts them, I trust them,"
He stood and turned to look at her.
Her heart melted and she walked over and hugged him. He put his face in her shoulder. They broke apart, he smiled gently and they walked back into the house.
Deanna walked back into the room and to some's surprise Robert walked in behind her.
"Where do I start?"
"From the beginning I think" said Deanna gently who then sat on the arm of the chair he was sitting in.
"I arrived on the plateau almost now three years ago, with my fiancé Elizabeth Carwel. Deanna found us and rescued us a few times and we lived with her for a while in this house. I spent a lot of my time in the village, and had a hut built for my own use. I was partial to the villagers because they did a lot for me when I first showed up, anyway Elizabeth told me she like the village to, that she like to shop or whatever, so we would go down together and I would go one way she another and would meet back at the house. Everything was fine for a little while. Then Eliza became dejected and nasty to Deanna, she spent more and more time on her own at the village although I never saw her there, Then the attacks started. Haiton's warriors were invading, killing everyone. Eliza didn't seem to care, where Deanna and I were each a wreck working hard to stop the chaos and destruction." He took a deep breath and Deanna unconsciously gently put a hand on his back. "Eliza told Deanna and the chief of the tribe she had met someone in the jungle who could stop the attacks and took Deanna one day to meet him. It was an ambush, Deanna came running back to the village literally torn apart." He put his head in his hand a minute "She looked like she had been tortured. There was still a man on her tail, who she tripped in a last attempt to stop him from reaching her before she got to the village. Then she stumbled in and fell literally at the chief's feet as she entered his tent. Some of the natives had grabbed the man who was following her and tied him in a tent for interrogation. I didn't see Eliza though, I frantically asked Deanna where she was, she spit at me and told me that it had all been a set up. I could believe that, we interrogated the man who told us a different story, one that I choose to believe. That she had been captured and wouldn't be released till Deanna and the chief went alone with him to make a deal. The natives didn't like that but the chief went along with it. Deanna stifled her injures and packed to go. Everything appeared as the man said, and so when we got there Elizabeth appeared to be tied and waiting to be rescued, she called out my name. We were told to release the man, so I did. The moment I did the man grabbed Deanna and shoved her foreword onto the floor. A group of warriors grabbed her off the ground and quickly disarmed her. I looked back to see the chief in a similar position. I turned to Eliza who was clearly free and in control. 'What's going on I screamed' she just laughed at me and went over into the embrace of some burly native adorned with jewels, his name was Talcol he was their king. Next to the man stood a similar looking man, his brother Haiton.
Robert's memory . . . . ..
"It's quite simple," said the Talcol to the chief "In exchange for your land and your people, you get your life and we will stop attacking."
The chief was furious, "You want to enslave all of my people, I will not hear of it"
"Then you die," said Talcol "And we enslave them anyway and take your land and mine it for all it is worth"
"Mine it?"
"Yes," said Elizabeth "The land you are on is just saturated in minerasl and jewels, the greatest wealth right under your noses and you scuffed it away."
"And what do you get out of this!" Deanna snapped
"And you haven't figured it out, for shame my dear I thought you were smarter than that"
"What are you talking about Elizabeth!" Robert yelled
"What is the title Lady going to do me here, especially when I can be queen."
"What! SO This is all about money?!"
"It was always about money, you never figured it out you were to busy with you learning and your books, you didn't notice me taking your money, cheating on you with men richer than you, trying to find a better offer and I had one then you got us stuck in this god forsaken place! But all for the better, for now I am queen and you are expendable." She laughed maliciously.
Robert stood there stunned, destroyed, how did he miss this, how could he love someone so shallow and horrible with no regard for another person's life.
Deanna struggling against the warriors as they brought her over toward Haiton brought him from his daze.
"What are doing with her?!" the Chief demanded
"A little insurance, that you don't rebel on us," smirked Talcol.
"Yes I thought Talcol's brother needed a bride, helping set this up and all, and he became quite taken with you my dear" she said coming over Deanna, "You lucky woman" Deanna spit in her face. "Vapid bitch!!"
"You've been controlling this the whole time!" he screamed . . .. Robert said and came back to the present stopping his words remembering that part of the day.
"Anyway" he continued to explain to his friends "We escaped but it resulted in war. This led to war throughout the two lands, later on Talcol and Elizabeth were killed, crushed by a landslide during a battle. Haiton became the leader and the villages became vicious enemies. They were losing the war so it ended with an agreement that Haiton and his warriors were to never come near Deanna or the Cyzan's land ever again, and we would stop the war. Now he has a destroyed village and nothing to rebuild it with."
"That's not true his greed and pride keep him from rebuilding," said Deanna
"So why would he deceive us?" asked Roxton
"Because Dakou and his group, they saw me with Marguerite, they saw me kill that man who had her by the hair. And I honestly have no doubt you made friendly conversations and he figured he had something of value to earn. Beside if you came in blowing bells and whistles the way you did he most likely figured you'd cause and uprising, and as Challenger informed me, you were to take Robert and I back to him. The villagers would find out and send warriors after us and the war would begin again."
She chuckled a second. "Challenger also told me, that he had you believe I was Demon," she laughed again.
"I'm sorry it's just so funny"
"Apparently someone took a nick name a little to far." Said Marguerite
"What?"
"At their first encounter one warrior called Deanna a demon, she sarcastically said 'something like that' and shot after him as he ran" she explained
"So instead of Deanna they refer to me as Demon, kind gets ya right her" she said hand over her heart.
"Then what do we do now?" asked Roxton
"Just ignore him, hopefully he'll go away" said Marguerite
"Fat chance but that's as good as plan as any. It's not like there is a reason that you have to go back to him." Said Deanna.
They all agreed.
Robert sat still thinking about that memory, those days, those people of her. It caused him so much pain to think of her. He hated her now and yet he loved her- and at the same time hated her because of his feeling for someone else and what could have happened and what did. He just could never feel better about those days about those memories he wondered it he ever would.
Deanna was unconscious rhythmically rubbing his back, feeling his pain.
Author's Notes: I apologize for any typos to tired to keeping looking for them. I hope everyone is beginning to understand the plot please tell me if you don't I'll try and clarify. But please review and be specific about what you find interesting or what you like!!!! PLEASE REVIEW
REVIEWS ARE MOTIVATING . . . . . . . . . .