They did not do anything except watch me. I tried to ignored them and became even more alert to pranks the other students sometimes tried.I started lo...king at new tech and composites while thinking of the underwater colonies. That was when David returned with another trade delegation. This time I found out he was the third in line for their throne. I was able to get a weekend pass and we met for lunch at a fancy restaurant. I watched and the strange men from school followed me.I grinned when I. She was smiling at me as she said that and went on to say, "A chip off the old block." Now to get back at her in a way I said, "Oh so you do a little business on the side as well do you?" "Of course" she replied, you don't think I could afford to live on a farm workers pay and still have nice things do you?" At this she spread her dress out, and her necklace to indicate her personal attire. Suddenly it dawned on me why she would get all dolled up to go 'shopping,' and didn't always come home. A lot of people look down on hillbillies, but they are the most honest, generous people I've ever come across. If they're your friend, they're your friend for life. They'd work themselves to death to help you out if you're in trouble. If you're their enemy, you're their enemy until death."We sat there in silence for a while. Finally, Claude started talking again. "Martha and I wanted a son, so we could turn this place over to him when we passed on. We were blessed with Karen, but then Martha. Happy did not wish to appear incapable in western eyes. He wanted to be the serious-minded reformer and expert governor. She had thought that taking hostages was the worst way to maintain a good image, but Happy's reasoning was that there was no point in having a good image if no one was looking. These days, one had to take hostages to be looked at! And, she thought, if it were true that Whitelaw was not being mentioned in government circles, then maybe Happy was right! It had not been much of.