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Chapter Twenty-Four
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"Well," Jaben said. "we just passed a town. Let's some of us stay with the van and some of us go in. Drink a goodly bit of water, he said, grabbing a canteen, "and we'll hope to be back soon." They talked amongst themselves, and Thaddeus, Jaben, and Sarah decided to go, leaving Désirée, Lilianne, and Ellamae to sit in the van's shade.
"Do you think you could ever write like Kant," Sarah said.
"Certainly," Jaben answered, "if I tried hard and studied a certain book."
"Which of Kant's books?" Sarah asked.
"Not one of Kant's books," Jaben said. "The Handbook of Applied Cryptography."
Sarah's eyes lit up, and then filled with perplexity. "You don't like that type of deep philosophical writing?"
Jaben said, "It is hard to think deep thoughts. It is harder still to think deep thoughts and record them faithfully. It is hardest to think deep thoughts and record them faithfully in a manner that people will understand. That is what I aim for."
As they walked around, they passed an abandoned 1950's truck, rusted and with one window broken. A small animal scurried behind a tire.
"Stop," Sarah said. "I want to look at this truck." They stopped, and Sarah stood, looked at the truck, tilted her head, bent over, walked a bit, and walked further. Then she finally said, "Okay. I have my picture ready," and continued talking into town as if not a moment had passed.
After stopping in a gas station, they found an auto body and repair shop, and junkyard, advertising, "Largest parts selection in fifty miles." There was a tall man who was sitting in a rocker in the shade outside the shop, and rose to greet them. "Hello, folks. May I help you?"
"Yes. Our van's radiator blew out, and we were looking for a mechanic." Jaben tried not to wince, thinking about the damage that the repairs would do to their funds.
"I wish Bear were here. He's so good with cars," said Sarah.
"You know a guy named Bear? The Bear I know is almost seven feet tall, weighs three hundred pounds--"
"--and has an elephant gun with a laser sight," Jaben finished. "How do you know him?"
"He's my cousin." Now all those present were astonished. "How do you know him?"
"He's my friend and my boss. My name's Jaben, by the way, and this is Thaddeus and Sarah."
"I'm Jim. I think I might have heard of you. What are y'all doing down here?"
Jaben's smile turned to a frown. "We are looking for our friend Amos, who has disappeared, and whose location we do not know."
Jim's jaw dropped. "Amos has disappeared? Bear said the best things about him. They used to play together as little boys, and--ooh, I'm not going to tell you that story, because Bear and Amos (if you find him) will kill me."
Jaben said, "He has, which is why we're on this adventure. It may be a fool's errand, but we want to see it through."
The mechanic looked at him with a deep, probing gaze. "Your friendship runs that deep?"
"Our friendship runs that deep," said Jaben.
The mechanic closed his eyes for a second, then said, "Come on over to my truck. I'll throw a blanket in the bed so the metal doesn't burn you, and there are a few containers of iced tea in the fridge. Y'all look like you're melting. The repair is on me. What's the make and model of your van?"
Jaben was so surprised that he forgot to tell James the requested information. Sarah ran up and gave him a hug and a kiss. Thaddeus asked, "What can we do to thank you?"
The mechanic took out a notebook, and wrote something on it. "This is my number. You can give me a call when you find Amos, or give up the chase. And, if you want to do something else, you can bring Amos by here when you find him. I've always wanted to meet him. Did Bear ever show you that gun of his?"
Thaddeus pulled his shirt collar aside to reveal several bruises. "These black and blue marks are from firing it, once. He offered to let me take his gun with us, but I can't handle a gun like that."
"Yep, that sounds like something Bear would do. He's a big man with an even bigger heart. Would you step inside? The fridge is there, and some of my tools. I've got several vans with radiators in the junkyard. Any of you handy with tools?"
Jaben raised his hand.
"All right. Here's my leather gloves; I don't want you burning your hands. Let's go."
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Chapter Twenty-Four
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