Earth Ship Protectress: Book Two in the Freddy Anderson Chronicles Read Free Page B

the commander and said, “I would be happy to pay for round-trip airline tickets and lodging for them to go home or almost anything else you might suggest.”
    “Good idea, Freddy.”
    Shopping was going to be fun, and I suggested that we take a trip to the largest mall in the United States, so we also planned that trip. I called Mrs. Crain, the owner of the local inn and a personal friend, to let her know that I would be coming to town and needed to talk with her to get ideas for presents for her family. She started to give me the old line that I didn’t need to do that, but I put a stop to it. I called Betty for the same information, and then I called the mayor.
    Miles Devin was happy to hear from me and was even happier when I said I wanted to exchange Christmas presents with the town. We talked about what the town really needed and what I needed. We decided on a new school for the town, but I would only be allowed to supply the materials. He’d call a town meeting and get the rest of them to supply manpower and agree to my request. “Nothing like the raising of a new house, church, or school to bring the town together.”
    I told him I’d be there at the meeting so that we could make plans.
    Everyone was now very busy doing something they loved to do. Their emotions were high, and that was much better than the prevailing attitude of the past couple of weeks. We went into town the next day.

    Blue looked thoughtful. “So this superior being sent the creature a mental no on making artificial intelligence.”
    Everything stayed open. Green said, “Oh no, you don’t!” Everything went completely black. Frustrating!
    “Yes, sire. It would seem that this being is especially concentrating on this one creature.”
    Gray said, “Poor thing.”
    Blue looked at Gray and smiled. “Green, what or who is this Jesus that everyone needs to celebrate his birthday? Did we capture a Jesus?”
    Green said, “Just a count”—and then went blank in thought. A couple seconds later, his mind cleared. “The body system says that we have captured eighty-nine of this species with the name Jesus. They say that none of them were anything special that would require mass celebration, though some were in high positions.”
    Gray said, “Perhaps it is this creature’s offspring.”
    Green said, “No, our records show he was too young at the time in question.”
    Blue said thoughtfully, “Perhaps it is another name for his God.”
    Green said, “Possibly. We have counted over three hundred names that it goes by. Nearly this entire species believes in a God and often in the same way. There are many religions that go with this God—Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, to name a few.”
    Gray asked, “Why do we know so much about this God and their religions when we know so little about them?”
    “They pray.”
    “What?”
    Green said, “When they are in trouble, they talk to their God through prayer. We have allowed this and have learned much by just listening.”
    Blue ordered, “Gray, find this God !”
    Gray left for a second and returned. “It will be found, sire. Green, continue.”

Chapter 4Heartbreak

    T he kids, including Becky, were in school when Mrs. Crain and I sat down at the kitchen table, which was full of pies and cakes for a bake sale, to determine what I could get each of them for Christmas. She gave me several ideas that changed considerably when she found out I was doing the shopping at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. She also gave me ideas for the captain and several ideas for her. Once I got her talking about shopping, it was easy to pull the information I needed out of her. I cheated a little and watched her open mind so that I could get her real wants and needs for her and the captain. She did make me agree to keep all the presents down to less than fifty dollars each. I balked at this, but she was very serious that it would make them feel bad if I went overboard. She wanted me to