AZOTUSLAND chapter Fifty-Four

Andy faded in and faded out on the screen and most people got the joke.

"Okay Andy," Jim said, "You've had yer fun."

"Okay, okay...hey I like it but I think we could do more with the internet and I'd like to expand the IC into thenext room."

Hans stiffened more than usual, which made him almost a cadaver.

"It's just Jim...shhhhhh....shhhhh....Jim?"

"Yes Andy get on with it...we all know you can hear us just fine."

"Heheh, Okay...I just really like the effects."

Jim rolled his eyes and looked at Maugham like "if he keeps this up you are going down."

"Well if we had another ten cpus and room we could do killer LAN games...that's all...like 24/7. I'd promise not to sleep...much."

"Good deal Andy...we'll get back with you," Jim said and Hans almost fainted.

Next, Jim called on Jeremy. "What do you think hotshot?"

"I want a pole that comes down from the big room into the Batcave."

Jim walked over to the side of the stage... "like about here and 20 feet down?"

"Yeah," Jeremy said.

"I already thought about it...not gonna happen, but I like the idea. Stick to mousetraps," he said smiling.

In the back of the room Jim saw Maurice had let himself in and standing next to him was Ted.

"You two...in the back" Jim said. "You two are as much a part of what we do here as we are. What is Azotus to you?"

This was an unbelievable risk by Jim. Maugham looked at him like "idiot".

Ted spoke up first. "Look I know a lot of you do not like me or beliefs. That's fine. And I have not always been nice. I believe what I believe. Jim and others believe what they believe. My belief is better," he said then there was silence.

"I'm kidding," Ted said, and the room broke up more than it had before like a giant exhalation.

Ted smiled and then he turned to Maurice and said "speak brother".

"Well first you people are nuts," Maurice said. "But the Rev. Tanka felt at home here and he never really had him a home. You all came out and loved him, and hugged him..an" Maurice teared up and could not continue. He choked a bit and the room got very quiet and heads went down.

Jonathan felt bad because he did his imitations.

Maurice sucked it up. "You folks gave him a place to be with others in his last years. I know Jim came and visited him every day that he was in the hospital. Most of you do not, or would not know that."

"Oh fuck" thought Jim.

"But he made peace and you all helped him make that peace."

Ted spoke up again. "Rev. Tanka also helped me find a little peace myself. That could not have happened without this place."

Jim was stymied. This was not what he had planned or wanted. It just was what it was.

He thanked everyone for coming and for being so open.

As he passed Maugham he whispered "Where are the 3 Stooges when you need them?" Then he gripped Maurice's wide paw and gave him a hug and looked back at Ted and gave him a serious nod.

Then he nearly ran downstairs to get away from it all.