JimVincible, you know what they say about the glass of cold water.(not half-empty or half-full) Proverbs 25:25: as cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
JamesCormac, I hope I meet (& maybe exceed) your expectations.
whitem & Ace Ian Combat: 1 update, coming up
My characters Richard and Daphne are intended to be people of letters. When I have a character quoting a proverb, I like to include the author. I always thought that Mark Twain first said "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I am unable to confirm that. I checked out the proverb--and many others at the new dictionary of cultural literacy at Italian proverb is found at reference to "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" was found at dickens. Shakespeare references are my little cd The Complete Shakespeare Collection by Corel that I got at a local dollar store.
the final scene in this chapter is a scene from Kim Possible: So The Drama.
Rich, Daphne, and Cyndi Larsen are mine. I will let Disney have everything else.
THE WEEK OF THE MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM
For two years Richard Leo Harte and his twin sister Daphne had attended Middleton High School. For two years they had studied Team Possible. It was like having front row and center seats. They had seen a hirsute Kim in battle with Montgomery Fiske when everyone thought it was a new cheer routine. They had seen a time when Kim acted like Ron and Ron acted like Kim, even shoving the Cheerleading squad captain out of the way and winning a competition.
For two years they had worked side by side with Wade Load. Daphne would often be at a terminal, managing incoming data for Wade. The double irony was this: first, she was often in the Load home, in Wade's own computer lab, just out of Kim's sight when she called Wade (Daphne tried hard not to smirk when she heard Kim's traditional "Hey, Wade, what's the sitch?" greeting); second, Wade hardly needed her help, in her opinion, not knowing that Wade equally admired her high tech talent.
Team Harte did recon work for Wade. Sometimes Rich, sometimes Daphne, often both, would comb the deserted lairs of the Team Possible foes for clues as to the next lair, the next plot, the next take-over-the-world scheme. Rich would even shadow Kim and Ron on some of their missions. He had even adopted the mission suit.
"Ricky, I have a bad feeling. What if you're seen? How are you going to explain?" asked Daphne as they conferred one day in Wade's computer lab.
Rich shrugged."'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'?"
"Aren't you tired of just watching? We could be in the field, doing something! I feel like Brutus and Cassius, we 'peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves."
Wade looked puzzled; Rich explained: "It's a quote from Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'; like we're in hiding."
"Like it's Ground Hog Day, and we're waiting for six more weeks of winter!" retorted Daphne. "That offer from Dr. Director is still good. We could call our own shots. We wouldn't even have to work with Agent Du-rag."
As with Kim, Team Harte had been approached for membership in Global Justice; and as with Kim, Special Agent Will Du had left a poor impression--but that another story. Daphne's sarcastic nickname for him never failed to bring smiles from both Wade and Rich.
"Sis, John Milton said, 'They also serve who only stand and wait'."
"The Italians say, 'Batti il ferro quando e caldo'."
"'Strike while the iron is hot'," Rich explained again. "It's also a quote from Charles Dickens' 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood'."
Wade sighed quietly; he could write a programming language or build an electronic surveillance device by the time he was toilet-trained, but when these two started tossing proverbs and obscure literary quotes, he felt like an ignoramus. What he liked about them, though, was the same thing he liked about Team Possible; the respect. They made him feel like one of their own, not a pre-teen post-adult agoraphobic super-IQ lab specimen.
"Guys," he ventured, "There's still the problem with Erik. He's not on the radar--anywhere. It's like he doesn't exist."
The tension at Middleton High could be felt. It could be cut with a knife. It had a name: Erik Drake, the new student, and Kim's new crush.
The gossip buzzed in the halls: would Kim Possible actually choose this new kid over her own lifelong friend and mission partner for a Prom date? Apparently, the answer was yes.
Rich felt tension, too--for a different reason. At his request, both Wade and Daphne had employed search engines and scoured databases. Erik had no record of live birth, no social security number, no transcripts from his former school, no last known address, either for him or his alleged "father". For that reason, he had called Team Harte to a council of war.
Daphne protested. "Ricky, he's not our concern. Kim is just setting herself up for a fall. I'm starting to agree with what you've been saying; something big is about to happen with Drakken and Shego. All the signs are there: kidnapping Nakasumi, kidnapping Dr. Possible, all for no apparent motive. Let's take our findings to Global Justice. We could bypass Will Du. Better yet: we could take Drakken down ourselves--bring Team Harte into the mainstream." Daphne relished the thought of the shock that would cause Kim Possible. "I agree that it looks suspicious, Erik turning up at this particular time. I'm especially sorry for Ron; it really seemed like he and Kim were drawing closer once they got past that mood-shifting implanted chip incident. But I don't think that Erik means anything"
Daphne viewed Kim's whole behavior in the framework of her own deep faith, in the terms of a religious analogy. As the Savior asked: what shall it profit a man--or woman--if they gain the whole world but lose their soul? Ron was Kim's soul, and for her to cast him aside just to be tight with the world--or the newest hunk--or the Food Chain--or whatever--was like deliberately losing one's faith
Rich countered. "I have to disagree. Erik's sudden appearance--and the effect he's having on Kim--is just too handy for the opposition. The Duke of Wellington studied Napoleon Bonaparte; Scipio Africanus studied Hannibal; I'm studying Erik Drake. Remember Sun Tsu: 'he will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight...he will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared...hence the saying: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will suffer a defeat..."
Daphne remembered. "The Art Of War" by Sun Tsu had been required reading when she and Rich were students at the academy of Master Goro Takayama. They were younger than Wade when they had studied the ancient Chinese book.
Wade interjected, "I have to agree with both of you on different things. Forget for a minute that you two are driving me crazy with all the Caesar-Shakespeare and Italian-batty-iron-dudes and Wellington-Napoleon-African-Sunrise whatever. I've known Kim for a long time, and I can tell you two things about her; her crushes and her tweaks. First, the fact that she's stuck on Erik--for her that's typical. It's a Popular thing, and he's a cute new face She was even hung up on Sr. Sr. Jr.--at least for a few minutes--after he sent her a dozen roses. And don't forget about Ron and all his crushes--Tara, Zita, Amelia--I'm sure there's more."
Wade continued: "And second: her tweaks; picture yourself coming up to Kim and Ron and telling them that you guys--the "Bookends"--sorry, nothing personal--are their secret allies, that you've been spying them for a couple years and you want to join up. Kim hates interference, whether it's from her parents, or Bonnie, or her brothers. Imagine how she's going to react to you two. Ron will be like: 'You guys do missions too? Well, Boo-Yah!' And Kim will be like: 'Ronnnnnnn!' You get my drift."
Rich smiled in spite of himself. Wade's impersonations of both Ron and Kim were absolutely on target.
"Ricky--I'm sorry, but--this concern over Kim and Ron and Erik--does this have to do with Cynthia Larsen?" Immediately Daphne regretted saying anything.
It all happened before Rich and Daphne transferred to Middleton High. Cyndi Larsen was Upperton High's equivalent of Kim Possible: Student Council, school committees, civic awards, captain of the cheerleading squad, martial arts black belt--even her own website. She was a junior and Rich was a freshman. The age difference hardly mattered. His poise, his learning, his emotional depth--he carried himself like a college grad student. He swept her off her feet, and she captured his heart. As a sign of his commitment, he revealed his deepest heart to her. He held nothing back: the death of his mother, the boarding school of Master Goro in an ancient monestary-fortress-palace, the formation of "Team Harte", and the dream: what Rich called the Great Task.
A favorite book of Rich's was "The Scarlett Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy. It was an old Victorian melodrama, not great literature, but it expressed Rich's fondest hope: to be able to rescue those who had no hope, the innocents who were being abducted by the political terrorists, the crime syndicates, who were being wiped out by genocide or starvation and disease in refugee camps. The book was about a man--an English nobleman, Sir Percy Blakeney, a vain silly man who loved to throw lavish parties--a member in good standing of the Food Chain--by day. By night he crossed the English Channel and rescued those who were in danger of being guillotined during the French Revolution. In his secret life he was know only by the secret name, the name of a flower: the Scarlett Pimpernel.
To see the fire in Rich's eyes and hear the passion in his voice; to feel the iron of his convictions; it had long since won Daphne's heart, and their father's heart. If only it would win Cyndi's heart.
If only Cyndi had been a little more like Kim; she and Rich might be doing missions now; Team Harte, Cynthia and Richard Harte. Daphne would gladly relegate herself to a back-up role, as Wade was doing for Kim and Ron, for the sake of a brother she so admired. As Rich would sometimes say, quoting Tolkien, a Quest often stands on the edge of a knife; stray but a little and it falls, to the ruin of all; yet hope remains while all remain true.
If only Cyndi had remained true. If only she believed more, in the ultimate triumph of goodness, in Rich's love for her, in her love for him. It was not a matter of someone else. Cyndi herself had said that there had never been anyone like him, or would ever be again. But she did not feel the noble urge, the magnificent obsession like he did. Rich was like Don Quixote, steeped in legends and mythology, believing in the Quest. Cyndi was not Don Quixote, or Sancho Panza, or even Samson Carrasco the enlightened skeptic; she was merely like Antonia Quixana, the baffled niece of the mad knight. "Rich, you're so special, but you're just so intense--I'll always love you--goodbye." And she burst into tears and fled his presence.
It shattered him completely. Cyndi moved away, and despite her promise to write, he never heard from her again. Daphne kept track of her as she accompanied her father; his work took him to all the exotic locales: Paris, Rome, Singapore, Sydney--but Rich expressed not a grain of interest. On a single occasion he spoke: "If a quest stand on a knife's edge, might not a gentle nudge, a helping hand, be permissible?"
The pain in her brother's eyes and his sudden stony silence; he would never be over Cyndi Larsen. Daphne realized anew what she had realized before: in the two years they had been attending Middleton High, a new desire had grown in her brother's heart, as strong as the desire to become a "Scarlett Pimpernel": the desire to see Kim and Ron unite. Despite Kim's scorn of the Harte twins, Rich had come to care for deeply for her and Ron, for their happiness. He believed that they were destined for each other. Daphne could tell without a word: Rich was praying for them; her sweet, idealistic, irritating, impractical brother, whom she loved above all others since the death of their mother, this hopelessly outdated hero in a modern world; he saw himself in Ron; he saw Cyndi in Kim; and he was as committed to them as Daphne had been to him and Cyndi. He was resolved; God willing, he would be a guardian angel, a matchmaker, whatever it took. He would be the gentle nudge, the helping hand for Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable.
"Ricky," she said gently, "I'm not sure I feel like you do, but why don't we give this a week? If Drakken has another run of his usual bad luck, or if Erik turns out to be just another one of Kim's infatuations, you can just owe me a Bueno Nacho Grande Meal. And if it turns out like you think it will, we'll go for broke. We'll join Little Miss Red, or whatever."
The gleam came back to his deep brown eyes--or was it the glint of light off his wire rim glasses? "Thanks, sis. I have this feeling it won't take a week. The Prom is in a few days. That's the night Drakken's little sleeper agent makes his move."
"Does this mean our 'war council' is done?" Wade asked.
Rich shrugged. "Looks like it."
"Well, since Daphne mentioned Bueno Nacho, could you guys drive over and pick up a taco and super-sized soda for me? And get what you want for yourselves. Me--or Ma--will pay for it all when you get back."
"Our pleasure, dude."
It was the next day at school that Rich's resolve to wait crumbled to dust.
Rich rode his mountain bike to school with his art supplies strapped to his back. He saw a figure in the distance in the traffic lane. As he approached, he recognized Ron Stoppable on his scooter. This was nothing remarkable. The scooter's top speed was hardly faster than a brisk run Today, however, was slower. Ron's head hung down. Rich could feel his hurt.
A motorcycle was approaching from behind, by the sound. Rich moved closer to the curb. He hoped that the cyclist would be considerate of Ron.
There was no oncoming traffic. The cycle passed safely in the other lane. It was Erik Drake. He flashed Rich a friendly smile. Kim was riding behind, her arms around his waist, clinging tightly, her bright hair in a pony tail streaming from under her helmet. She waved as they passed Ron.
"Hi, Ron," she said lyrically. Ron waved half-heartedly. Was it Rich's imagination? Erik sped up and Ron slowed down. The cycle and Kim's hair receded into the distance.
The scooter slowed almost to a crawl. Ron's head bowed even lower. Was that weeping Rich heard coming from Ron?
Rich stopped pedaling. Don't pass Ron, he told himself, don't let him know you're here. Let the guy have some dignity. Rich turned and rode to a side street without a backward glance. He took an alternate route to school.
In a morning class he heard Kim and Monique whispering excitedly several seats behind him.
"--Girl--you mean you haven't kissed him yet?"
"Well--I want it to be right--special."
"Kim Possible--you are impossible! You are so remedial! Why do you think people rent hotel rooms on prom night? To shake hands?"
"Monique!"
"I mean it, girl! Kissing should be a done deal at this point--water under the bridge!."
And without knowing it, Rich realized that he had snapped his pencil in half in his clenched fist.
The substitute teacher's voice suddenly spoke sharply. "Ladies, the bell has rung. Knowles, was your discussion pertinent to the class topic?
"No, Mr. Barkin."
"Possible, would you like to continue your discussion in detention?"
"No, Mr. Barkin."
"Harte, you seem upset. Is anything wrong.?"
"No, Mr. Barkin."
"Good. Then if I may have your undivided attention..."
During lunch break he saw Erik pushing Kim at the swings. He saw Ron trying to operate the see-saw by himself It broke his heart. It was time to act. It was time for the gentle nudge.
Would this jeopardize his hoped-for union of Teams Possible and Harte? He hardly cared. What's the use of a sense of chivalry if you can't act on it?
He signed Ron Stoppable's Bueno Nacho petition--and dared to offer personal advice. There were two signatures on the list: Kim Possible's and his own; he pointed to the name above his. "Stop obsessing over the size of the portions and kiddie toys; you and I--and everyone in school--knows what's really eating at you."
He spoke words of counsel to Ron, that no one walking past could hear.
Ron reacted in shock; being talked to by the Artist. He stared into a pair of brown eyes, not unlike his own. That voice, so warm and full of confidence; if there was anyone lower on the Food Chain than himself, it was this guy and his sister. Even Malcolm Nevius, the Everlot kid, got more respect, and the odd thing was, it didn't seem to bother him. Ron had never taken the trouble to talk to him because Kim never had either. Here was a kindred soul. Confide, his heart told him
But Ron hung his head dejectedly. "Dude, thanks for caring, but it's too late," he mumbled. "I'm losing everything I ever cared about."
No, you're not, Rich silently vowed, not if we can help it--my friend--my brother.