Ron wasn't ready to face any sort of strategy session, never mind facing the fact that he had exposed the Mystical Monkey Power to the entire world. This wasn't going to be pleasant, and having barely slept at all didn't help his wits. The kindly man went to the door and returned his freshly-laundered mission gear to him, then waited patiently while he got dressed. After this, the man insisted that the teen get something to eat before facing the day. That was fine, he needed the food, even though his stomach wasn't all that settled at the moment.
Once Ron was done eating, the man led him out of the suite...Ron had a hard time thinking of it as a holding cell...and down a corridor. He then led the teen through a door into what appeared to be a fairly comfortable meeting room. Ron grabbed a cola from a selection of drinks available and settled into the chair that the kindly man indicated. He had just taken a few sips from the sweet, caffeine-laden beverage when the door opened and Kim, accompanied by a female counterpart to the kindly man, entered the room.
They may have had their differences in the last year or so, but Kim was still his oldest friend. The two shared a warm hug without any hesitation. He noted that she trembled a little and when she released him, he noted that the bags under her eyes were probably as large as the ones under his. They didn't have a chance to talk...Kim had just picked up a drink of her own when Dr. Director hustled into the room. The bag under the older woman's single eye was just as large as the bags under the teens' eyes.
"Let's cut to the chase," Director told everyone present. "I'm not going to start with the implications of an alien life-form showing up with advanced technology that she had every intention to use to obliterate life on Earth. I'm also not going to start with Drakken escaping after facilitating this threat. Instead, I'd like to discus the rather...interesting...revelations that have come from the conflict against Warmonga, and the interviews the two of you provided."
The last part of the statement was made with a very pointed look at Ron.
"What's there to discuss?" He grumbled. "I'm sure you've either watched or read the interviews. Drakken was ranting to the whole world in that lair, so the whole world saw me go full monkey. Now, everyone knows about Mystical Monkey Power and pretty soon, the whole world will figure out that Yamanouchi has something to do with it. My days of being normal...or at least kind of normal...are over."
"That's what I needed to discuss," Dr. Director told him. "When Warmonga made her threat to destroy the Earth's magnetic field, then turned on the device, we lost all contact with you. Mr. Lode was unable to contact you via your communication devices and Drakken stopped transmitting. An incredibly powerful electromagnetic surge came from the cave and it swamped any possible signal. I will admit that the US Government had an airstrike en route before the surge ended and Mr. Lode regained contact with you. For the last several hours, Global Justice, the FBI, the CIA and other agencies have had teams trying to find anything of use in that cave. Everything has been destroyed beyond even our ability to reverse engineer."
"I'm not understanding why you're saying this," Kim admitted. "Are you blaming us for the damage?"
"No," Dr. Director offered a small smile. "I'm telling you this to assure you that the only people who observed Mr. Stoppable exhibiting what he called the Mystical Monkey Power are the two of you, Drakken and Shego. The two counselors who spoke to you, as well as myself, are the only ones who have heard you talk about it."
Ron was dumbstruck. He shared a glance with Kim, whose mouth was hanging open. Upon seeing this expression on her face, he realized that his mouth was also hanging open. Looking back to Dr. Director, he noted that she had a small, yet satisfied, smile on her face.
"The two of you are not Global Justice Agents," she reminded them. "And therefore, any...shall we say...extraordinary events you may witness or abilities you may gain are none of my business. Even should you apply to become employees or agents of my organization, as long as such abilities or affiliations do not compromise our mission, they will remain your private affair."
"So, I didn't show the world that I have Mystical Monkey Power?" Ron finally managed to ask.
"The only ones who know about it, knew about it before," Dr. Director assured him. "I will not ask you to quantify it, tell me how you obtained it, or anything else, so long as you do not use it for...less than upright...purposes."
"Is that why you're talking to us now?" Kim asked her. "Do you want to work out what we're going to tell the press, or other government agents, about what happened?"
"Exactly," Dr. Director's smile was now wider and genuine. "The two of you have an opportunity to either become the world's heroes, or maybe teenagers who were present when the world was saved. It's going to be up to you and since even your parents don't know the details, you have the chance to set your limits at this time."
"What exactly will the press and agencies be able to guess?" Kim asked her.
"First, let's go over what was actually broadcast," Dr. Director told her. "Mr. Lode managed to lift footage of Warmonga defeating first Shego and then you, Kim. So that footage has probably been obtained by others, and will eventually find its way to the public. We then had the live broadcast of Ron fighting Warmonga, keeping her distracted while Rufus freed Kim and Shego. After that, there was a short struggle with Warmonga..." Dr. Director lowered her voice. "Eric made his sacrifice, then Warmonga activated the machine and everything went blank. Shortly after that, the two of you..."
"Hey!" Rufus protested.
"The three of you," Dr. Director corrected herself. "Preceded by Shego and Drakken, emerged from the lair, narrowly avoiding an explosion."
"I've got an idea," Kim murmured. "But it's going to need some work before it's a good story."
"Let's hear it," Dr. Director prompted her.
"Let's leave Shego and Drakken to hold the bag," Kim answered. "Nobody but us and them were actually in the lair and...and survived to tell the tale. What if we say that once Drakken realized that the device was going to kill everyone on the planet, he sabotaged it while the rest of us kept Warmonga busy? We all fled while Warmonga was caught in the blast."
"What's the advantage of doing that?" Dr. Director asked.
"It leaves us free to live our lives!" Kim blurted out. "Okay, we're going to have a certain fame involved in all of this, but it's not going to be anywhere near what it would be if everyone thinks that Ron did it! Won't it be easy for everyone to believe that a mad scientist, who can create a...a...a sentient synthodrone could make the machine overload and explode?"
She looked at Ron. "It's up to you," she told him. "You'd be giving up an awful lot of celebrity, but in return, you'd get a whole lot of freedom."
"I could keep Yamanouchi a secret," he murmured in return. "I could keep the fact that I have Mystical Monkey Power a secret," he added.
"And you wouldn't have reporters and fans following you every day," Kim pointed out. "I don't know where you're going with Michelle, but nobody would be hounding you about it. If we tell the truth, every date you have with her, every little disagreement, every show of affection is going to be observed, recorded, broadcast, analyzed and blown out of proportion! Think about it, the clothes you buy, the food you eat, what you do for fun, the college you go to; someone, somewhere is going to be publicly dissecting every decision you make. Every once in awhile, that someone will praise you for making the right decision but most of the time, they'll find something wrong with it. Somehow, you're destroying the planet, or you're exploiting someone or maybe setting a bad example."
"Yes, you could get a lot by admitting the truth," she continued. "If you say that you saved the world, I'll back you up on it, 100 percent. After all, it's only telling the truth. You'll get so much; any college you want will take you, any company in the world will be happy to endorse you and as far as your social life goes? Well, you won't be hurting for attention, affection or company."
"But what price will you pay?" She asked him. "You asked me and Wade to give you more credit for the missions, and you've earned it. Do you want all of it? You've earned it, I won't deny it, but do you really want it? Do you want the scrutiny and the second guessing? Do you want all of the expectations and the demands?"
Ron remembered the time when they had swapped bodies. He could tell the truth and it would be like that...only much, much worse.
"Y'know, I like the idea of Shego and Drakken dodging well wishers and people who need a favor, as well as law enforcement," he answered her. "You're right, let's let them deal with the celebrity."
"A very wise choice," Dr. Director commented. "Now, let's go over the story."
The story wasn't that hard to fabricate, since it mostly consisted of stating that a brilliant...if erratic...scientist had done something to technology beyond what the human race had managed, that a couple of teens (and a naked mole rat) didn't understand. In the end, they decided to say that Warmonga had tried to repair her machine after Drakken damaged it, and had been caught in some sort of electrical discharge before the explosion.
"Very well," Dr. Director commented, once they had hashed out the story as far as they needed to take it. "Now, we bring in some others."
He and Kim only had a few minutes to wonder what that meant when, after a polite knock on the door, another agent ushered in his father and Kim's mother. He might not have been as close to his parents as some other teens, but his dad was still his dad and it had been a rough mission. He didn't hesitate to hug his father, even while Kim literally threw herself into her mother's arms. Dr. Director gave the parents a few minutes before setting everyone down again. Once she had everyone in place, she was all business.
It took over an hour. First, she pointed out that the teens had been through a very traumatic experience, so being jumpy or having difficulties sleeping could be expected. She scheduled both of them for twice-weekly meetings with the Global Justice Counselors and made sure that the parents had contact information in case of panic attacks or depression.
"It's better to call and ask than to assume it will work out," the kindly man told them. "Mental health is serious and nothing to be embarrassed about. You could very well spend this week doing fine, only for things to come crashing down on you later. We're here to help."
After that, Dr. Director made sure that both the teens and the parents understood that her organization took their physical well being seriously. "If anyone starts pressing for interviews or information, let me know immediately," she told them. "Even if it's from the local news station or newspaper. It could be a trick to get access to Kim and Ron, they didn't understand the advanced technology that was used in the lair...but that might not be good enough for some people and organizations. Such organizations can be ruthless and such individuals can become dangerous when they don't get what they want. We intend to let your children live as normal lives as possible, but we're ready to intervene if the unusual lives they've lived start to harm them. They've done a great service for the world and we don't intend to let them suffer for this.
There were more details; details that his tired mind just didn't pick up on. Still, his dad and Kim's mom both appeared satisfied. At some point, Dr. Director told them that they were all free to go. By now, Ron was staggering and Kim was in no better shape. They found themselves led to a bank of tubes and guided into one of them. Moments later, they were standing on a sidewalk not far from Bueno Nacho. It was shocking, but Ron had no desire to go in and grab something to eat. Instead, he let his dad lead him down a series of alleys that led first to Kim's back yard and then to their own.
Of course, his mom doted on him when he got in the door. As much as she could be an absent mother at times, she was concerned for him. He honestly didn't know if it was a religious issue or just a mother issue, but whenever she hadn't seen him eat for over four hours, she was convinced that he was on the brink of starvation. Add to this that he hadn't slept much, if at all, the previous night and she didn't know if she should feed him or chase him off to bed. Fortunately for her, Hana came up with the answer.
His daughter/sister had apparently been restless all night, wanting her brother. As a result, she was tired, cranky and wanted him around her. That was fine by him; he played with her a little while his mother put together a meal for him. By the time the meal was ready, Hana was asleep. Ron wasn't much better, but he allowed his mom to sit him at the table and put some good food into him before chasing him off to his room to rest up a little. He had a few things to do before he tried.
First, he checked his email. Felix knew the score when it came to missions, so there was just a single message from him, asking him to drop him a line when he could. Ron thought about it a moment before realizing that he really wasn't in any condition for a long talk. Instead, he typed his own message; "rough mission, home safe, worn out, will tell you more when I can function." That took care of his older friend.
His newer friend didn't have the experience that Felix did. Rick had sent him several texts and emails, wondering if he was okay and if he would be back in school Monday. Ron smiled a little at that but responded with roughly the same message that he had sent Felix. The only thing that he added was that there were things that he really couldn't talk about. It wasn't that Rick was a bad guy; it's that he was a naturally curious teen and telling him up front that he had to keep his mouth shut about things would make things easier when they met in person again. After that, he had to address Michelle's correspondence.
Michelle hadn't been as reserved as either Rick or Felix. There were several voice messages and numerous emails and texts to deal with. Rather than address each one, he sent her a text that said roughly what he had told the others; that he was back home, that he was safe and unharmed, that he was very tired and was looking forward to seeing her on Monday. Satisfied, he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes...only for his Kimmunicator to ring a call through.
Grumbling, he grabbed the device and saw that it was from Michelle. For a moment, he wondered if he should be happy and charmed that she was so determined to talk to him or if he should be concerned and nervous that she was so determined to talk to him. Shrugging his shoulders, he answered the call.
"Ron, I've been so worried!" She spouted, as soon as she could. "The news said that you were where that big explosion came from! Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," he pointed out, even though he had already told her. "I'm just tired."
"Well, I had to hear your voice," she insisted. "Everyone at school is asking what happened!"
"School?" He was confused. "I was gone Friday night and it's now just Saturday afternoon. How can the school be gossiping about this?"
"Social media and cliques," she answered. "And we're worried about you. You're going to get grilled on Monday."
"I'm really not looking forward to that," he admitted.
"Well, maybe we can work something out," she told him. "I'll post on my social media what you told me, if it's okay with you."
"Yeah, I guess so," he mumbled.
"Okay, I can tell you're really tired," she told him. This had him confused, since he had just texted her that he was. "Get some sleep, I'd like to see you tomorrow."
"That's fine..." he managed to stammer.
"Good," she told him. "I gotta get to work, see you tomorrow."
He stared at his Kimmunicator, bemused by the conversation, for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders, setting the device down then settling down to at least try to nap.
The familiarity of being in his own room, added to the sheer exhaustion, did the trick. He was out very quickly but something woke him up. He glanced automatically to his clock and realized he had managed a forty-five minute nap. A slight movement, to his other side, drew his glance. He wasn't particularly surprised, or happy, to see the glowing form of Master Sensei.
"It bothers me to disturb the rest you have earned," the old man informed him.
"But you're going to do it anyway," Ron sighed. "Yeah, I know the drill."
"Perhaps your anger with me is a good thing," the old man mused. "Perhaps it allows us to address what we must without the distraction of manners."
"What's there to discuss?" Ron growled at him. "You used me. You stuck me with this Mystical Monkey Power, then you mutated me, then you tricked me into fathering a child, then you put me up against Fiske, then you put me up against the Yono..." he faded off. "And now you want me to talk about it?"
"Hate me if you will," the old man shrugged. "I have more than deserved your anger and mistrust. Yet, I ask you to view what I did, or what I allowed to happen, from a more neutral point of view."
"So now you're trying to explain that you didn't have a choice?" Ron was having trouble keeping his voice down. He was pretty sure that nobody would hear Sensei's voice, but if his parents heard him having a one-sided argument when he was trying to sleep, he'd probably wind up talking to the counselor again much earlier than intended.
"There is always a choice," Sensei answered. "Although the choice is not always right vs wrong; sometimes it is wrong vs catastrophic. Will you hear my words?"
"So you can manipulate me some more?"
"Are you so frightened that you will not even listen?" The old man's tone was mild, but the words cut deep.
"Okay," he sighed. "But I really doubt that I'm going to believe much of what you're going to tell me."
"Cynicism is good armor," Sensei nodded. "Especially when dealing with me. So, let's begin by addressing your accusations. First of all, it was not me who, as you just said, stuck you with the Mystical Monkey Power."
"Maybe not directly," Ron admitted. "But you didn't do anything about Fiske trying to track down the statues."
"We were not aware that it was he who had recovered the first three," Sensei admitted. "We at Yamanouchi knew where they were hidden across Asia and Africa, but we did not have a permanent presence at the abandoned temples. The statues were always a test; once every generation or so, we would send a promising student on a quest to find them. Such students would obtain minor access to the Mystical Monkey Power. I was chosen for my generation and none were chosen for the generation after me. I was about to send either Yori or Hirotaka on such a quest when I learned, through the Mystical Monkey Power, that the statues were being taken from their ancient resting places. Yet, I knew that they had not been used."
Ron only looked at him, wondering if there would be a point to all of this.
"You see, young Stoppable, one who has been raised in Yamanouchi, practicing Monkey Kung Fu and immersed in the disciplines can expose himself to the statues one at a time, and thus attain a fraction of the Mystical Monkey Power. However, for an outsider, even a devout student such as Fiske, to obtain this power, he must be exposed to the statues at the same time."
"So why not have a student gather them up and expose himself to them all at once?" Ron asked, getting interested in the tale despite himself.
"Because the Mystical Monkey Power will not accept a Yamanouchi to that degree," the old man told him. "It may sound confusing, but I will explain, if you're willing to listen."
"Okay, fair enough," Ron shrugged. "But why not train me to use it? One week, in which I spent more time being insulted by Fukushima, didn't really prepare me very well."
"Quite the contrary," Sensei told him. "This prepared you more than you could know. However, if I don't tell you the tale in order, I may miss some details."
"When Fiske took the statues, I knew that they were being taken, but I did not know by whom," Sensei continued. "I knew that the first three had been taken to someplace in Western Europe, but I could not even determine if they were on the mainland or not. However, I knew that whomever had taken the first three would inevitably track down and take the last. Yet, there was something that this thief...or adventurer...did not know about the Mystical Monkey Power; it seeks a choice in who will wield it. It called for a counter to whom was seeking it, in the seeker's own voice."
"Fiske's call to Kim to help get the last one," Ron mused.
"Exactly," Sensei nodded. "It manipulated him into requesting help, so that another would be present and wield it."
"So Kim should have been there, not me?" Ron grumbled.
"Not necessarily," Sensei told him. "I now know about her family night that kept her from investigating Fiske's castle. Even I cannot say if this was chance or the Mystical Monkey Power that brought you, alone, to the statues. At the time, I did not know who had gone there. I knew that the statues had been used, twice. The call that brought you and Miss Possible to assist Fiske in obtaining the fourth allowed the Yamanouchi intelligence network to determine who had taken them. When the statues were used the first time, I was certain it was for Fiske. The second time, it could have been you or Miss Possible. As the prophecy called for a male chosen one who would father the Han, I was mostly certain it was you. However, there was a possibility that we had gotten the number of Toshimiru's descendants wrong, so there was a small possibility that it was Kim and we were off by a generation. That's why I called you to Yamanouchi while sending Hirotaka to observe Miss Possible."
"Okay, you didn't stick me with the power," Ron shrugged. "But why did you just leave me to muddle through things? Couldn't you have given me more than a week's training, with most of the time spent taking Fukushima's crap?"
"For the same reason that a child of Yamanouchi would not be able to access the full power," Sensei took a deep breath. "The Mystical Monkey Power will not accept, and will not call, someone with established loyalties. The power thrives on unpredictability, because established loyalties may be corrupted. The Mystical Monkey Power would not, and will not, fully accept me because as a child of Yamanouchi, my loyalties are set. If faced with a choice between supporting Yamanouchi and doing what you may deem the right thing, I would be honor bound to support Yamanouchi. As it was, you were receiving excellent training, accompanying Kim Possible on her missions to assist people, without regard to nationality, or religion, or other affiliations."
"But still, some more martial arts training..." Ron protested.
"Had I taken you on as a student, I would have demanded loyalty," Sensei pointed out. "I would have demanded control of where you stayed and when you left. You would not have been free to face many of Drakken's schemes. You would not have been free to prevent Dementor's plans from being seen through. Instead, you would have been drilled in absolute obedience to the school, something that the Mystical Monkey Power would not accept."
"Okay, maybe I can believe that," he grumbled at the sort-of-there old man. "But what about the mutation?"
"For that, I bear the blame," Sensei admitted. "While Hirotaka chose to inflict this upon you, he did so in order to insure that Fiske would not be able to gain it. Yet, had I let you know about this when he reported to me, perhaps you could have done something. Your young support man, Wade, or even Dr. Hall may have been able to reverse the alteration."
Ron only glared at him, his expression letting the old man know that his explanation wasn't over.
"The Mystical Monkey Power can be fickle," Sensei hastened to explain. "And I suspect that the decision between you and Fiske was very close and your dislike of monkeys didn't help matters. Modifying you to make you more simian could very well have been what bestowed the title of Ultimate Monkey Master onto you, rather than him."
"So, you wanted to make sure that someone you had your thumbs on would get the title?" Ron snarled, glaring at the old man.
"In a word, yes," Sensei admitted. "Although I would not use the term that you did. I would state that I wanted one who had already proven himself to put other's welfare above himself and who was favorably inclined towards Yamanouchi to gain the title."
"And that takes us into my next complaint," Ron's snarl was still firmly in place. "But I'll take a little detour first. When it came to Hana; couldn't you have just asked me to...well...contribute? Why did it have to be some secret plot that got Leon involved in it?"
"The plot got out of hand," Sensei sighed. "But the core of your question was 'why didn't we just ask.' I sought to keep a secret so that you would never question; so that you would look upon Hana as a sister and accept her as family willingly, even if you were reluctant. I thought that if I had asked, then saw to it that your parents adopted her, you would suspect her origins and look upon her as a duty."
"I..." Ron wanted to protest, but then remembered his first reaction upon finding out that he had been moved to the attic so that his new baby sister could have his room. "That's actually a pretty good point...but it still doesn't make it right! What about Yori in all of this?"
"I don't follow your reasoning," Sensei admitted.
"What you did to her!" Ron almost shrieked, before remembering that he was in his attic room. "After she did what you called for her to do, you kept sending her on missions with me! She didn't realize that I thought it had been a dream, she believed that I thought that we were...intimate. She forced herself to go through with it to keep your secrets!"
"Do you really think that your short layover in Doi Pha Hom Pok was in any way unpleasant for her?" Sensei seldom showed emotion, but it was clear to Ron that he was feeling amused incredulity.
"At the time, no," Ron admitted. "But when I found out that she did it to keep the secret..."
"Fool!" Sensei shook his head. "Is it so difficult for you to grasp that she did what she wanted to do, and what she thought you did? When she enlisted you help to rescue me, while she did not initiate another encounter with you, she deliberately put herself in a situation where, if you would have initiated it, she would have been obliged to go through with it?"
"I'm not understanding," Ron admitted.
"She wanted you!" The old man snapped. At first, Ron thought that he was angry but then realized that the elderly master was choking back laughter. "Yet she was too shy to act on it and because you weren't, she thought that you didn't share her desires. Once you figured out the fabricated truth of the matter, she felt free to act on her wishes!"
Ron could only look at him, slack-jawed.
"It wasn't just the physical act!" Sensei informed him. "Those few days, being in the company of a friendly, pretty girl, frolicking on the beach and enjoying yourself, didn't you return to your normal life more happy and motivated?"
Ron nodded.
"Why do you think it was any different for her?" The old man demanded. "She came back happy and ready to tackle her duties, knowing that when she earned another respite, Yamanouchi would give her the opportunity to meet up with you again."
"That sounds kind of crass," Ron noted. "I mean, a friends with benefits kind of thing."
"Yori lives a very dangerous life," Sensei pointed out. "At any time, she could be thrown into the fray to combat or spy on cultists, common thugs or even Yakuza. The work of a Yamanouchi Ninja can be dangerous, exhausting and even degrading so I encourage her to seize what happiness she can! Now, before you let your young man's ego get in the way, it isn't just the physical intimacy, she enjoyed spending time with you on the beach and at the concert. Why shouldn't she feel free to indulge in the pleasure of your bodies, as well? There was no harm in it."
"But she wouldn't hesitate to use it to manipulate me, if it came to it, would she?" Ron growled.
"No." Sensei's voice conveyed regret, but no sadness. "At the end of the day, she is a child of Yamanouchi. If faced with the choice, she will seek to find another way, but she will do what she must, as she knows that failure can mean much worse than any punishment I may subject her to."
"Is anything worth that?" Ron asked him.
"Consider what could have happened if Fiske had become the Ultimate Monkey Master," Sensei told him. "Let's forget for a moment that one of the first things he would have done would have been to kill you, a rival. What would have happened to the world at large? First, he would not have seen fit to summon the Yono, so there would have been no need for you and Hana to intervene. However, when faced with the choice that Warmonga gave you, would Fiske had refused?"
Ron blinked a couple of times.
"Fiske was ambitious," Sensei reminded him. "Had he been faced with Warmonga's offer, he would have gladly accepted and subjugated the world to allow him to seek even more power without the interference of law enforcement or a populace exercising its free will. Even if Warmonga had not shown up on Earth, he would have gladly worked with cultists, criminal organizations, even rogue states to gain access to the ancient sites he wished to investigate. Should certain mystic rites have required human sacrifices, he would have provided them with no hesitation. On the other hand, you question the morality of being a lover to a young woman who wants to be intimate with you. Now do you see why I was willing to use any means to make sure that Fiske did not gain the title that you now hold?"
"But all of it, or at least most of it, without my consent," Ron grumbled. "What do I do now?"
"Live your life," Sensei shrugged. "Enjoy your friends. Play football and gain a scholarship. Get a degree. Get a good job, or perhaps play professional football for a time."
"It wouldn't be fair to use the Mystical Monkey Power for that," Ron protested.
"Of course not," Sensei agreed. "So don't do it! But when you encounter danger and lives are at stake, don't hesitate to intervene! The Mystical Monkey Power will be yours to wield."
"I guess I can understand you," Ron finally admitted. "But I don't think I'll ever be able to trust you again."
"You shouldn't," Sensei agreed. "What I do, I do for the greater good. One who manipulates you for evil will eventually get tired of trying. One who manipulates you for personal gain will move on to other marks if he does not benefit at your expense."
"But one who does what must be done?" Sensei told him, with a bitter, self-loathing tone. "He will never stop, because he knows what might befall the world if he doesn't make you pay the price."
A/N:
One chapter left. As always, thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for beta reading.