Ch. 4 – Duncan Strauss Mysteries
Ebb Meets Flow
It was May 16th, 2245. May Strauss was sitting with her son in the dimly lit cafe serenaded by a melody of rhythmic percussion and smooth saxophone. Glasses clink. A delightfully caffeinated aroma floats through the air.
“Why didn’t you want to go the party with your sister, Duncan?” She asked, gently stroking his shoulder blades.
“It’s the girls, they’re always so mean.” Duncan replied, still downcast.
“Well it could be that they just like you,” she paused. “What kind of things do they do?”
“Well, there’s this one girl April. She told me my hair looked like a mop,” he said brushing his hair behind his ears.
“Do you think your hair looks like a mop?”
“No! Mops are white and strandy, it’s not even close!”
“So why do you think it’s bothering you so?”
“She didn’t exactly say that it looked like a mop, she said ‘Mr. Mop, Mr. Mop, why don’t you go stop the slop Mr. Mop?!’” With the latter part of the sentence sung with a particular sort of contempt.
“I’m sorry Duncan, that seems pretty mean doesn’t it?”
“Yeah! What did I do to her?!”
“Sometimes kids try to emulate their parents, it’s the only thing they can think to do. Maybe she’s having a hard time at home, and it’s the only thing she can think to say.”
“I guess so.” He said frowning.
“Well, I’ll tell you what, I’ll give her parents a call, and we can see what’s going on. Maybe we could lend some compassion.”
Duncan sat up, “okay!”
“And whenever they say those mean things, just remember, hateful arrows are not twice loosed on a target adorned with thick plating. You know what they say is silly, to think of it twice might be doubly so.”
“Yeah, that’s true!” He said, enthusiastic now.
“I’m glad your feeling better,” they smiled. “You know, your great-grandmother’s name was April.”
“Woah, really? What was she like?”
"I never really knew her, but from what my mother told me, she was remarkable. Back then it was always very cold, and her and her husband sailed through it like a hot knife through butter. But I think she had a pretty difficult life, we're really lucky Duncan - the world is shaping up."
James knocked twice on the large oak door of his coworker's well adorned abode, and was greeted by a man in a tuxedo.
"Oh hello Mr. Strauss. Your daughter is playing in the den, right this way."
"Thank you, " he replied. James didn't personally understand the appeal of a butler, but to his rather eccentric friend a necessity. As he followed the suited man through the equally eccentric house echoes bounced from surface to surface giving weight to his motion.
As they drew closer to what James assumed was the den, he began to recognize several voices, and the laughter of children.
"Is there anything I can get you, sir?" The butler asked.
"No thank you, just here for my daughter." James smiled.
"Very well, sir." The butler did a slight bow, and left for another room.
James stepped into the den, and was immediately attacked by a very enthusiastic young Kathryn.
"Daddy!" she cried, hugging his leg with all her strength.
"Oh hello there!" James scooped her up and held her close. "How are you?"
"Good. Is it time to go?" She asked, eyebrows tilting outwards.
"Yes it is, you've been here for quite a while you know?"
"Is it? It feels like I just got here!"
He laughed, "it sounds like you had a good time!"
"Yeah!" Kathryn squirmed to be set down, "dad come look!"
She led him further into the den when he encountered his friend Allen sitting next to someone he didn't recognize.
"James! So glad you're here! Me and Jared were just discussing our recent discoveries!"
"Hopefully not with too much detail!" James laughed, "I don't believe we met; Jared, right?"
Kathryn interrupted, "Dad, come look!"
"Yes, it is Jared; a pleasure." Jared nodded his head in accord.
"Will you excuse me a moment, Kathryn wants to show me something" he looked down at a glowing pair of furled brows.
"Of course, " Allen replied.
Kathryn lead him around a corner to a door to the outside courtyard near the center of the building. There must have been a dozen kids running this way and that.
"Dad, look!" She pointed towards a sandbox, with sand carefully set nearly as tall as she was.
"Wow!" He strode up to it, and nealt down. "I really like it! How did you manage to get the sand to stick together like that?"
"Me and Mrs. Andrews filled up this pail with water and dumped it on the sand, and it made it sticky!" She said pointing to her red plastic pail.
"That's really cool!" James smiled.
"Dad, can you take a picture of it?!"
"Absolutely, maybe we can print it out and hang it on the fridge!"
"Yeah!"
James pulled out his mobile phone, held it up, and snapped a photo. "That turned out great! Kathryn, why don't you clean up these tools, and bring them back to Mrs. Andrews. I'm going to have a quick chat with Allen, and " he paused.
"Jared!" Kathryn chirped.
"... and Jared!" James smiled. He hugged Kathryn and then turned and headed back to the den.
Kathryn scooped up her plastic tools, and started for the door. But before she reached the door she noticed a boy sitting alone on a bench. She set the tools down, and walked towards him. She got to the bench and sat down on the opposite end; "Hi!" she said.
The boy had his knees pulled to his chest. He looked up, his eyes were red.
"I'm Kathryn!" said Kathryn, sticking her hand straight towards him.
The boy looked at the hand, and lay his head back down on his knees, replying "I'm William."
Kathryn retracted her hand. "What's the matter?"
"I told my mom I didn't want to go, but she made me go anyway."
"Why?"
"I don't like parties! She never listens!"
Kathryn realized he was sniffling audibly now.
"Well I'm sorry about that, but I really enjoyed it, and you should too!" She hopped off the bench, grabbed the tools, and headed for the door.
"Would you like a drink, James?" Allen inquired.
"No thank you Allen, you know I don't drink." James said, frowning.
"Well I don't know, maybe you'd take a break on such an occasion." Allen said, setting the mahogany filled glass on the cabinet. "So as we were saying; Jared was curious at the design inspiration for the... processor as you call it?"
"Oh yes, I realized that a new class of device needed its own name. It was only a matter of time before we made the processing power of the closet-dwelling PC accessible via standard communication networks. With the projected ubiquity of HCCRs, it was an obvious choice."
Jared stopped him, "And how are you possibly sending that much data?"
"It really involved creating a new compression schema for simple geometry-related instructions; stripping the process of all possible overhead." James stopped as he felt a slight tug to his trousers. He looked down to see his daughter waiting patiently. "You ready to go?" he asked.
"Yep!" replied Kathryn.
"Well I must be going, and it's better anyway not to discuss work on off days. Maybe we can get together for dinner and discuss the finer details." James reached his hand toward Jared, who was quick to reciprocate.
"Yes, yes! I would love to learn more. How does next Saturday sound?" Jared appeared oddly eager.
"I'm not sure if that'll work or not, let me arrange something with my secretary. Allen, would you mind sending Jared my office number?"
"No, not at all."
"Thank you. I will see you soon, my friends." James ended, herding his young daughter out of the den.
James and Kathryn were about to the front of the house when they encountered the quite distinguished Mrs. Terrier.
"Mrs. Terrier." He said nodding. "You here for Billy?"
Mrs. Terrier was renown for her completely emotionless expression. Mrs. Terrier was somebody to look twice at, and she knew it. "Hello James. Yes, I am here for William."
Kathryn's eyes grew wide.
"He's probably in the courtyard, right past the den. How is he, William?" Inquired James.
"Mmm, yes he's great. Stellar child. Bright future." She paused. "Was there anything else?"
James's eyes squinted, and the left end of his lips tried to escape outwards. "Is there something the matter Sarah? William was sitting all alone. Is there something I can do?"
Kathryn chimed in, "Yeah, he seemed really sad!"
Sarah laughed, "Aren't you cute, little one! No, thank you James. We are really very happy." She brushed a few strands of hair from her face.
"Hmm." James muttered.
Sarah turned and started towards the den.
James picked Kathryn up, and strode through the door Mrs. Terrier carelessly left ajar.
May Strauss, home now, picked up the phone, and dialed the number. Duncan was sitting at the counter nearby eating some salad from the night before, waiting anxiously for the conversation to begin.
Duncan heard a deep voice answer.
"Oh yes, hello Mr. Terrier." "Oh my apologies, Dr." "Yes, I was calling about..." "Yes, that's right." "Oh he's doing great." She turned to Duncan and smiled. "Yes, about April." "Well yes, she said some means things to my son and I'm concerned for..." "Well," "Excuse me?" "No, I will not permit such language..."
Duncan couldn't hear anyone on the other side any longer. He noticed his mother looked confused. "What happened?" he asked, wide-eyed.
"Mr. Terrier hung up the phone. He was quite angry" She looked deep in thought.
"What was he angry about?" Duncan cocked his head to one side, and pursed his lips.
"I'm not sure." Her thoughtful look turned into a look of concern - eyebrows raised, lips frowned, eyes widened.
She yanked up the phone and dialed her husband.
Duncan could hear the reassuring voice of his father on the other end.
"James, I just spoke with Mark." "Oh you are?" "Yes, come inside, I think we have something to discuss." "Love you too," "Bye."
"Is dad home?" Duncan asked.
"Yes, he'll be home soon."
Duncan ran around to the front door and waited eagerly.
The door opened, and Kathryn burst inside and ran directly to Duncan and gave him a tight hug. "Stop, let me go!" Duncan squirmed.
Kathryn obliged and stepped back smiling. She ran around him into the kitchen.
James entered, setting his hat on the rack to his left. Duncan ran to him looking up with bright eyes.
"Hi dad!" He said.
"Hi son!" James knelt. "Are you glad you didn't go to the party?"
"Yeah! I went to a coffee shoppe with mom, and we talked about this mean girl April, and I don't think I'm going to let her get to me. No way. No arrows are hitting me!" Duncan stood up straight, and rest his closed fists on his hips, looking at the sky.
James responded, "Good for you, you're very brave!" He yanked his son up by the armpits, "oof, and you're getting big too!" James tickled his belly, and Duncan squirmed.
Holding Duncan, James headed towards the kitchen, making sure to close the door behind him.
James and May met right before he was at the kitchen. He was holding Duncan, she Kathryn. Their eyes met. They both smiled. They got in close and kissed with Kathryn and Duncan in full aversion.
"Ewwww," they cried in unison.
They set the kids down, and embraced.
"What was it you wanted to talk about?" James asked, brushing May's lightly coloured hair behind her ears.
She turned, and wrapped her hands around either elbow. "I'm worried for April Terrier. Mark seemed so angry over the phone when I mentioned that she was mean to Duncan."
"What did she say?"
"She mocked him, calling him a mop head." Her eyes drifted downward in sympathy.
James looked over at Duncan, now sitting on the couch, who was quite vehemently frowning.
James turned back to his wife, "Perhaps we should pay them a visit, see if there's not something we can discuss."
She looked up and hugged him, "Yes, I like that plan."
"Hire a babysitter, I'm not sure how long we'll be gone for. I'll talk to the kids."
May picked up her phone, and started tapping away.
James walked into the living room where now both Duncan and Kathryn were sitting patiently.
"Your mom and I are going to have a word with Mr. and Mrs. Terrier. I think that something might be going on, and when that happens sometimes you have to lend some compassion."
"That's what mom said!" Duncan shouted.
James smiled. "We're going to hire someone to keep an eye on the house and on you guys while we're gone. If you need anything, do you remember how to get a hold of us?"
"Yeah!" the kids shouted in unison.
May approached from behind, "we love you both so much," she said hugging Kathryn. Duncan reached out and hugged his father. Duncan squeezed tight.
James and May stood up, donned their coats and scarves, and walked through the door. Behind them it shut with an audible 'click,' 'click,' 'click,' 'beep,' 'beep,' 'beep,' 'beep.'
Duncan lurched forward from a deep slumber feeling the weight of something attached beneath his forearm, and everything came rushing back. The explosion, the sirens, the bumpy ride, the bright lights, and then he gasped.
"Kathryn"