“How’s the car behaving?” Jake asked as they hit the interstate.

Glynis glanced at him. “Haven’t had a lick of trouble with it for more than a week.”

Jake felt far from reassured. Should have taken the Gray Ghost, he said to himself.

They made it to the big rig with no difficulties, though, Glynis pushing the powerful Jag well past the speed limits. Jake kept his eyes peeled for the highway patrol, knowing that the cops loved to ticket sleek, expensive cars. Especially red ones, according to local wisdom. He felt glad that Glyn’s Jag was forest green.

The big rig was silent as they entered the oversized shed. Tim Younger was bent over the heart of the apparatus, a trio of technicians hovering at his side.

“Hello, Tim,” Glynis called out.

Younger straightened up and turned toward her, a big smile on his normally dour face.

“How’s it going?” Jake asked.

“We’re inspecting the channel for erosion after our latest run,” Younger said. “Everything looks good, even the electrodes. We’ll be going for two hundred hours, starting tomorrow.”

Glynis said, “Jake has an idea that could bring a lot of political support to MHD.”

“An idea?” Younger immediately looked suspicious.

“A stunt, kind of,” said Jake.

Younger started walking slowly across the concrete floor, toward the control booth. Matching him stride for stride, Jake explained his Fourth of July idea.

“Some stunt,” Younger huffed.

“It could make everyone in the state aware of MHD, Tim,” said Glynis.

“Yeah, especially if we have to shut the rig down in the middle of the show.”

“It would only be for a few hours,” Jake said. “Six, eight hours at the most.”

“Keep the whole town lit up all night? How’re people going to sleep?”

“They can pull their drapes closed,” Glynis said.

“I don’t like it,” Younger groused.

Glynis looked him squarely in the eye. “You don’t have to like it. Can you do it?”

“Yeah, sure…”

“Then let’s go ahead with it,” she said firmly.

“Look,” Jake said, “you’ve already had the rig running for a hundred hours at a time. This’ll be easy for you.”

“Easy for you,” Younger countered. “I’m the guy who has to make it work.”

“You can do it, Tim,” Glynis coaxed. “You know you can.”

Younger tried to frown at her, but his expression quickly melted into a boyish grin. “Yeah, I guess we can.”

“Fine,” said Glynis.

“But I don’t like it. It’s sticking our chin out. If anything goes wrong…”

Jake heard himself quote, “‘Behold the lowly turtle: He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.’”

Younger shook his head. “Politics. Sometimes I think the prof was right. This is nothing but a stunt for political reasons.”

“So was landing on the Moon,” Jake snapped.

Strategy Session Two

STRATEGY SESSION TWO