From raquelm@urjwc.ucla.edu Wed Apr 09 19:54:23 1997 Subject: EP> Our Sweetest Songs (1/2) From: Raquel Montoya -------- Title: Our Sweetest Songs Part 1/2 Author: Jamie Taylor e-mail: Aiua@juno.com or Aiua@aol.com category: MSR rating: G (hey, I am underage!) summary: In the near future, Mulder and Scully are married and there's a government conspiracy underfoot. It involves two of their children. DISCLAIMER: I don't own 'em and I'm not making any money off 'em. Our Sweetest Songs " It ain't home t' ye, though it be the palace of a king, Until somehow yer soul is sort o' wrapped 'round everything." ---Home, E.A. Guest September 8, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Special Agent Dana Scully Mulder awoke at five in the morning. The house wasn't completely quiet, the sounds of her sleeping family could easily be heard in the early morning hour. She looked out the window and a bare hint of the dawn twinkled above the horizon. Below her, her husband slept quietly, like a slumbering cat. He was aptly named, though he hated it. She still rarely called him Fox, even after nine years of marriage. Scully slipped on a robe and padded down the hallway, poking her head in each of her childrens' rooms to check on them in their sleep. In the first room, the twins, Anna and Gracie, slept peacefully on their respective "big girl" beds. On the other side of the hall slept her oldest, Kate, born after the case in Home, Pennsylvania. In the next room her only son, Andrew, was sleeping, a miraculous thing for him, since he had inherited his father's insomnia. Scully, finished with her motherly rounds, went down to the kitchen to start the coffee. As she went about her morning routine, she found herself reminicing about the past. The day Mulder had finally gotten the courage to ask... * * * * * * February 23, 1996 J. Edgar Hoover F.B.I. Building Washington, D.C. He had spoken out of the blue. They had both been immersed in the stacks of files waiting to be solved. Scully hadn't expected him to do anything for her birthday, since he had never remembered it before. What he had to say, frankly, had shocked the hell out of her. Not that she didn't like it. "Hey, Scully, doing anything special tonight?"his first question was innocent enough. "Mother's going to take me out to dinner. Why?" He looked back down at the paperwork., "Nothing." A few minutes later,"Hey, Scully, I got you something for your birthday. But, first, I want you to read this." He handed her what he had been working on all morning. She'd thought it was a profile or something of the like. Boy, was she ever wrong. She gave him a puzzled look and went to reading. It was a poem, part of one. " The ill-timed truth we might have kept-- Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung? The words we had not sense to say-- Who knows how grandly it had rung?" ---A Fool's Prayer, E.R. Sill Thoughts tumbled through her addled brain. Did he mean what she thought he meant? She read on. " Scully, I have kept thought to myself for fear of what may be. I'm not really good at expressing myself, as you well know. I came across this passage and it made me think. It made me think of what I have left unspoken, of what would never come to pass if I had not the sense to say three words. I would regret that for the rest of my life if you died and I never told you. Dana Katherine Scully, I love you." It was signed," Fox W. Mulder." She looked up, touched and in full agreement with what was written. She spoke, quietly," Fox William Mulder, I love you , too." A grin a mile wide had lit up his face, though for some reason, he trembled still. It was then when he pulled out the box and asked in a softened tone," Dana Scully, will you marry me?" She had answered yes, throwing caution to the wind. They were married the first week of March, in Saint Matthew's Cathedral in D.C. Mulder's mother was there, as was Scully's. They had over one hundred guests and well-wishers. They had a short honeymoon in Maine before going back to the x-files and a lake monster in Georgia. * * * * * * " I hear in the chamber above me The patter of little feet, The sound of a door that is opened, And voices soft and sweet." ---The Children's Hour, H.W. Longfellow September 8, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Scully looked up as her oldest made her way into the kitchen. An outspoken girl of seven, she was the "spitting image" of her mother. Scully recalled her birth. It had been just a few months after the fright she had gotten from Mrs. Peacock and the infanticide. She had been so worried that something would go drastically wrong with the pregnancy. All had turned out well in the end. Scully remembered that December eighth night in Johns Hopkins University Hospital. Kate had been born in Baltimore because she and Mulder had been visiting her mother. Mulder had been so frantic,harassing the doctors and nurses the entire six hours of her labor. They had opted to wait to find out the sex of their firstborn and were delighted with their tiny infant daughter. She was baptized Katherine Margaret, the Katherine being her mother's middle name and the Margaret being her grandmother's first name. She was called Kate, or Katie, depending on who was doing the calling. Kate spoke quietly, as to not wake her father and siblings, " Ender's not going to school. He's sick." Kate often became a little mother to her younger brother and sisters. With that said, she went about getting her breakfast "How sick, Kate?" The little redhead looked up, "He's not throwing up or anything ," in the Mulder household, throwing up meant you were real sick, "He's really hot though. And he says that he's all achy. You gonna check on him? He's kinda whiny." " You get whiny when you're sick, kid." "So? Dad does, too and you're not so great, either." Scully smiled at her little adult," That's because I'm a doctor. Doctors aren't supposed to get sick. I'll go check on your brother. What about the twins?" This time, she didn't look up from her cereal bowl, "Zonked out." " You have such a way with words. I'll be back down in a minute." Scully made her way back up the steps and into Andrew's room. She found him awake and on top of his quilt. His brown hair was damp from sweating and was sticking up in all different directions. His hazel eyes were bright from the fever. She felt his forehead, it was quite warm. He was definately sick. Andrew struggled to sit up and then gave up after about thirty seconds. "I hate being sick," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Kate had been right. He was whiny. Then he thought about it," No, wait, this means no school. I like being sick." He had changed his mind entirely. Even at five years old and only in kindergarten, he hated school. Scully and Mulder knew why: he was bored. He'd been reading since he was four, and the other kids were just beginning to master the alphabet. Both Kate and Andrew had inherited their father's eidetic memory. Scully thought about when Andrew was born. He had been a surprise, just as Kate had been. He was born at 11:21 pm in Fairfax Mercy Hospital. Mulder and Scully had been out hunting for a larger house for their growing family, and she had involuntarily gone into labor. Mulder was just as frantic the second time and the hospital staff found great humor in his worriedness. Everything turned out okay and Dana had given birth to a six pound five ounce boy on November 27, 1999. He was baptized Andrew William. Saint Andrew would be his patron saint and he was given that name and the William was for both of his grandfathers and was his father's middle name. When he had been brought home by his parents and Kate was introduced to her new brother, the almost three year old couldn't say Andrew and it came out Ender. It stuck. Almost everybody called him that. Special Agent Fox Mulder wandered into his son's room. His hazel eyes were still heavy-lidded from sleep. He was not a morning person. Grinning, he spoke," Hey, sicko." Ender glared at his father," Oh, leave me alone." This made Mulder grin all the more," That's for teasing me when I was sick," Mulder ruffled Ender's hair. The boy hated that. He claimed it was a condescending adult thing. Mulder just told him that he'd been using his thesaurus too much. Ender hid under his covers, not willing to submit to any indignities. Mulder kissed his wife," Morning." Scully smiled," My, aren't we happy this morning." "It won't last. I've got a meeting with Skinner today." "Ah, well, hurry up, it's quarter 'til seven already." He kissed her one more time, longer. Ender peeped out from under the covers,"Ew, PDA. Gross. Cut it out, guys!" Mulder retaliated by tickling him.He kept tickling him until, from the twins' bedroom, Scully heard cries of," Uncle! Uncle!" She decided to intervene,"C'mon, Mulder, he's sick." This time, it was Mulder whining," Aw, Scully...okay. Just wait until you're better, Ender. Then, pow...right in the kisser."It was a private joke between father and son that Scully was never let in on. Ender giggled and made his way into the kitchen to get something to drink. Mulder clambered into the shower. Scully roused Anna and Gracie from their sleep. These two were their youngest, only four years old. They'd been born at 6:24 am in Georgetown University Hospital, on July 3, 2001. They were baptized in the same church and by the same priest as their older brother and sister. Anna Ellen and Mary Grace, Ann was Mulder's sister's middle name,and Ellen was his mother's name. Mary Grace had been Scully's grandmother's name. The two little girls were redheads and had changeable blue-green eyes. Scully dressed them and ushered them downstairs for breakfast. She then called her mother. Maggie Scully answered on the second ring,"Hello?" "Mom? It's Dana. Umm, Ender's sick, he's got a temperature. Can you watch him today?" "Sure, honey. Do you want me to come over there?" "Can you?" "Why else would I ask? I'll be over in fifteen minutes." With that taken care of, Scully packed Kate, Anna and Gracie into her navy blue Ford Explorer, kissed Ender and Mulder goodbye and headed to St. Matthew's Nursery School and St. Matthew's Parish Elementary School. * * * * * * "The Index is the collection of the measurements of every young genius' I.Q. Included with each file is are the names of the child's parents, his siblings and his present location. The I.Q.'s of these children are categorized differently from 'normal' children. While I.Q.'s of 100-115 are considered average, 116-125 above-average, 126-146 superior and 147 onwards genius, the 'average' starts at 147. This Index is maintained by unknown persons for an unknown purpose. We are determined to find out these unknowns." ---The Lone Gunman,September, 2003 * * * * * * September 8, 2005 F.B.I. Training Facility Quantico, Virginia Scully looked through some old paperwork during her free period between classes. She came across the letter she had recieved from Kate's kindergarten teacher back in 2003 about administering an I.Q. test to Kate. Scully remembered that Kate had been very frightened throughout the entire thing, even with the assurance of her parents. Then Mulder had come across a couple of magazine articles that pertained to their particular situation. Scully, as per usual, had blown them off as a couple of obscure, kooky articles and that Mulder was just being paranoid. At least, on the surface she'd blown them off. Deep down, she was truly scared, scared for her eldest daughter. They had all anxiously awaited the results. Mulder and Scully most anxiously of all. Scully was interrupted from her reverie by one of the secretaries. " Agent Scully? " Scully looked up," Phone for you on line two." " I've got it, Shelley, thanks," she lifted the reciever,"Scully." It was Sister Elizabeth, Ender's teacher," I'm sorry, I was trying to reach Mrs. Dana Mulder, Andrew Mulder's mother," the nun sounded slightly embarressed. Scully smiled," You've found her, Sister. I go by my maiden name at work. What's the problem? Andrew was sick today, that's why he wasn't at school." The teacher's words brought a cold pit of fear to her stomach. "Andrew seems so very advanced for his age. We would like to give him an intelligence test." END PART 1. From raquelm@urjwc.ucla.edu Thu Apr 10 20:00:00 1997 Subject: EP> Our Sweetest Songs (2/2) From: Raquel Montoya -------- Title: Our Sweetest Songs Author: Jamie Taylor e-mail: Aiua@juno.com or Aiua@aol.com category: MSR rating: G summary: continuation of part one timespan: future disclaimer: see part one " And, while the mortal mist is gathering, draws His breath in confidence of Heaven's applause: This is the happy Warrior; this is He That every Man in arms should wish to be." ---The Happy Warrior, W. Wordsworth ---- " From several different sources, the staff here have uncovered what we think is the greatest conspiracy in our entire nation. Not to our knowledge has anything of this great a magnitude been discovered in our nation's, or any other nation's for that matter, history. Certain 'black' government agencies in our nation have apparently known of the existence of extra terrestrials for a number of years. Long enough, in fact, to be helping another species wage a xenocidal war against another species of alien. The 'Index' that the Lone Gunmen discovered was, or is, used to find the military geniuses needed to win this war. These children are apparently taken at a young age under the guise of alien abduction to be trained in the ways of war. Interstellar war against a species unknown to them and the general public. We warn the parents of bright young children to watch out. To keep guard over them. Ender's Game is apparently a true story." ---Conspiracy Monthly,August, 2003 * * * * * * " 'Twas brillig and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe All mimsy were the borogoves And the mome raths outgrabe." ---Jabberwocky September 8, 2005 F.B.I. Training Facility Quantico, Virginia Scully had consented to the test, after all, she didn't want to bring attention to Ender by refusing. Kate had been a close call, even though the skeptic in her refused to believe the articles. Her I.Q. had measured at 144, close but not close enough. She hadn't told such a young child what her I.Q. was, lest she become heady about it. She had, though, told her that she had done well, and this seemed to satisfy the girl's curiosity. The incident had then been filed away into a dark corner of the parents respective minds, forgotten. Until now. Scully went about her teaching the rest of the day, trying to forget the ordeal she would face again with her son. The ordeal she may eventually have to go through with her youngest daughters. She was partially successful in forgetting, until she arrived home and was greeted by her now healthy five year old, racing up behind his sister. " Mom, mom! Gramma said that you don't believe in ghosts!" He sounded truly shocked at this revelation. With his father's strong belief in the existence of the unbelieveable, he had thought that surely his mother felt the same way. Scully shot a look at her mother as she attempted to explain this to a captive audience of two children," She's right, I don't. I've believed that there is a scientific and rational explanation for such things." Kate gave her what Mulder called the 'Scully' look and said, " What a load of hooey." This outburst caused Scully and Mrs. Scully to burst into laughter. Kate looked confused,"What?" In control of herself, Scully asked,"Where did you learn that?" "Dad," she replied, as if it was the most obvious answer. Scully smiled," Figures." Mulder shouted from the study," What figures?" Scully walked into that room," Nothing. Just the amazing vocabulary of Kate's. Any new cases?" Mulder looked less than thrilled with the work before him on the computer screen, "No new x-files. Just another missing persons case," he kissed her," What about you?" "Ender's teacher called," suddenly she had trouble speaking. " What, what is it?" " She said, no, she asked if they could give him an intelligence test. She said he seemed ' a little advanced for his age'." " And you consented," Mulder sounded resigned. She shrugged," What else could I do? If we categorically refused, that would certainly bring attention to him. Then where would we be? Mulder, Kate was so close. We almost lost her. What if we lost Ender? What then? I don't want to lose any of my children, no matter what the cause," she seemed on the verge of tears. He held her in his arms," We won't lose any of them. No matter what, I'll keep them safe." With that said, they went into the living room. * * * * * * " Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite and claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub Bird and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" ---Jabberwocky September 9, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Fox Mulder watched his son in his sleep. He was so small, so innocent. He knew nothing of the cold world that surrounded him, of the dangers that lurked about, waiting to snatch him. Mulder couldn't sleep. It was two in the morning and he was making rounds of the house, checking on his slumbering family. He was to nervous to sleep. They would take his daughter. They would take his son. The bond that had been forged between the sister and brother was unbreakable. They rarely fought, almost always got along. It was kind of eerie. It was also sweet. They would do anything for each other. Mulder was worried if something happened to one, how wold the other react? Ender was practically named by his sister. She even the one who found the book, or books, with a character of the same name. Ender was a truly sweet kid, so understanding. He seemed to have a wise man's soul and the mind of a philosopher. To him, the world was meant to be learned, explored. Nothing was without possibility. This idealism frustrated his mother to no end. Ender also wasn't stupid and neither was his sister. Both children seemed to know more than a child was supposed know. They were both excellent chess players, for instance. They would come up with moves no one had ever seen before. It remained to be seen if the youngest pair would be as intelligent or as bonded as their older brother and sister. Ender shifted in his sleep. Mulder left the door open a crack and headed back to his own bed. He was sleepy now. September 9, 2005 St. Matthew's Parish Elementary School Washington, D.C. The man was very big. Not tall like his father, just very large. He had a beard, too. It was black. Blackbeard the pirate, Ender thought. The big man spoke, "I'm Mr. Brown. I'll be testing you, young man. What's you're name?" Ender realized that Mr. Brown was going to be a basic, condescending adult. He could deal with that, "Ender." "I need you're full name, son." Ender sighed, wishing he were anywhere but here," Andrew William Mulder." "Good. I hope we can get along. Now, let's begin," the man gave Ender a box of blocks and a picture," Andrew, I want you to make this shape using these blocks. Think you can do that?" Ender looked at the shape. Looks like this test won't be hard after all, he thought. He wondered what his parents were so worried about. Nothing was supposed to worry his parents. They worked for the F.B.I., after all. They saw scary stuff all the time.He spoke,"Yup." "Good. Begin." Ender put together the shape in mere seconds. He looked up expectantly,"Well?" "Okay, Andrew. Good, good. I didn't even get a chance to start my clock. Let's go on, shall we?" Ender decided that he didn't like Mr. Brown. * * * * * * June 10, 2004 Waldenbooks Jefferson Mall, Washington, D.C. "Dad! Dad! Look what I found!" Kate ran towards her father at near warp speed, waving a paperback book in her hands. Mulder looked down," What?" She was grinning ear to ear," A book about Ender." This had Mulder sufficiently perplexed. He took the book proffered to him. He read the title aloud, "Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, "Mulder smiled," I read this when it came out. It's about a little boy who's a military genius who saves the world. It's a good book, Kate." " So is it about Ender?" "Ender Wiggin, not Ender Mulder. I don't think your little brother will wage war against an alien race." Kate looked disappointed, then immediatly cheered up. Such were the mood swings of kids," Maybe he will save the world, Dad. Anyway, can we get that series for him to read when he's older? It does have his name." Mulder made his purchase of four paperback books. * * * * * * September 9, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. And there they sat. The four books Mulder had bought last summer on a whim. Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and The Children of the Mind, four books that Dana had read unwillingly at first. She'd only consented to reading them because Kate had coaxed her into it and they contained her son's name. After the first chapter, though, she was hooked. Orson Scott Card became the only science fiction writer that Dana Mulder liked at all. Now it looked as if the tales were coming true. She shuddered. " Kate? You ready? We have to be at the doctor's office in fifteen minutes and you know what D.C. traffic is like." Her daughter stuck her head into Ender's room," Yup, all ready to go. C'mon, Mom. I want to get this over with. I hate the doctor's." " You and me both." Same Day Pediatric Associates Washington, D.C Doctor Jones shooed Kate out of the room. As soon as the child left, his face became very grave. " Mrs. Mulder, we found something." The cold feeling returned. "Now, we're not sure exactly what it is, and we won't be until we get the results from the labwork. But, we found a growth in her brain. has kate complained of any headaches or earaches in the past month?" Scully was so shell-shocked she stuttered for a moment,"A couple of weeks ago she had a headache. I just gave her some Tylenol, I didn't think it was serious enough to warrant a visit to the doctor's office." " It wasn't. I know you're a doctor, too, Mrs. Mulder, and this may well be a false alarm. I just wanted you to be aware of the situation. I'll call you in a couple of days with the results. Call me if you have any questions." Scully was very quiet for the rest of the day. She mechanically went through her usual routine, picking up Ender, Anna and Gracie, throwing together dinner, leafing through her lesson plans. Finally, she got up the courage to tell Mulder. He was as devastated as she was. "So...so...this means Kate has...she has..." he couldn't bring himself to say it. Scully was already close to tears and his words, the insinuation she'd been avoiding all day brought her over the edge, "It might, Mulder. We don't know. We just don't know." She sought comfort in his arms, as she had for all those years. September 10, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. He stood at the foot of the bed, his teddy bear tucked under one arm. It was three in the morning. "I had a nightmare," he whispered softly,"Can I sleep in here with you?" Dana replied by lifting him into the bed between her and Mulder, "What was it about?" "A pirate. A real big one. I was just real scared." Mulder rolled over and held Ender. He reassured his son as only a parent can do," Don't worry. You're safe here." In the sanctuary of his father's arms, Ender fell asleep. A few minutes later, Kate crept in and snuggled up between her mother and brother, a bad dream having woken her up. And there they slept, safe from the demons that waited with the dawn. September 12, 2005 St. Matthew's Parish Elementary School Washington, D.C. Mr. Brown, the district psychologist, was a very large man. Scully now knew why her son was having nightmares of a pirate. " Mr. and Mrs. Mulder, I think it is safe to say that your son is extremely gifted. His combined score came out at 187." Their fears were confirmed. All they could do now was pray that the articles were lies, that Ender woudn't be taken. That Kate wouldn't be taken. Mr. Brown went on to say that Ender would be skipped a few grades so that he wouldn't be so bored. Ender would also need to have psyche test to make sure he was 'balanced'. After all, genius is closest to insanity. Mulder and Scully heard this through a cloud. They felt that the world was closing in on them and there was nothing they could do to stop it. * * * * * * " There is room in the halls of pleasure For a long and lordly train, But one by one we all must file on Through the narrow aisles of pain." ---Solitude, E.W. Wilcox September 14, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. They had acted faster than even the Lone Gunmen had anticipated. And he was gone. Mulder had confronted Cancer Man, who, of course, denied knowledge of everything. But that was policy. And he was gone. He was snatched away from the playground at school. He had been so isolated from the older students of his own class, no one had noticed his plight. Until he was gone. That same day they'd recieved the news of his I.Q., they had taken him. Mulder and Scully grieved and searched and any parents would, but to no avail. He was gone. Scully spent her all day Saturday by the phone, no news came. Mulder went out tracking old contacts, calling in favors from high places. Yet, he was gone. Poor little Kate was quiet, a rare and mistifying occurance. Mulder and Scully were torn in two, worrying over their daughter's health and their son's whereabouts. Then the call came. The ringing of the telephone made Scully jump and she anwered it on the second ring," Hello?" Dr. Jones spoke in a hushed tone, the kind of tone doctors reserved for telling parents that their child is dead, or is going to die, " Mrs. Mulder?" " Yes?"her normally strong voice shook with worry. Mulder enveloped her from behind with his arms, offering support. " Mrs. Mulder, this is Dr. Jones. The lab results just came back. Your daughter, Kate, she has a large brain tumor. It is malignant and inoperable. We're afraid she only has a few days, a week at most. There shouldn't be any pain, though. We are very sorry. If you have any further questions, feel free to call me at my home." The dialtone buzzed in her ear. She didn't hear it. She felt Mulder take the reciever from her hand and replace it on the cradle. He then turned her around and hugged her, her head tucked under his chin, their tears mixing together. * * * * * * " For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." ---Psalms 91:11 September 21, 2005 All Saints Graveyard Washington, D.C. She had gone quietly. A caring little girl who understood what was happening. She had regretted the sadness she had caused, and wished for happiness for her family. She prayed for her brother, for him to be returned safely to their parents, for she knew the loss of them both would hopelessly tear at her parents. She never cried, though she had wanted to at the unfairness of it all. She found that she had to be the strong one, due to the fragile nature of her parents emotions. At the end, she went quietly into the light. She became the guardian angel of the family she left behind and would someday see again. Mulder stared at the tombstone. Simple and white, it contained only the bare facts of her life. Katherine Margaret Mulder December 27, 1997-September 19, 2005 Beloved daughter and sister He had been staring at it for a long time. They had buried her yesterday. Not even eight years old. He only regret was that she didn't get to say goodbye to her brother. He was still gone. Mulder now knew that it was worse to have a child die than to have a child missing. With a missing child, he could come back, someday. Kate would always be gone, a hole ripped in his heart. He wept bitterly at the unfairness of it all. September 22, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The knock on the door came as a shock to the Mulders. It was X. And Andrew. Scully held him in an embrace so tight, Andrew thought she would never let go. She did, eventually. Then it was Mulder's turn. They had lost Kate and gained Andrew. Katie was watching over them after all, like Mulder had done as they had slept during the Witching Hour. X also left a package that revealed what Mulder had sought for years. Almost everything was revealed. Almost all of the Truth. * * * * * * "How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be when there's no help in truth." ---Oedipus Rex, Scene 1, line 304 September 23, 2005 212 Airdrondack Drive Georgetown, Washington, D.C. In his basement office, Mulder read through the package that X had left. It explained the barest facts of what had gone on and only what pertained to the Mulders. There was the Project. Genetic mapping was done through the smallpox tests. This mapping was done to look for intelligence. A place in the Index was assigned. The children of those Indexed were observed and tested. Those with a certain Index level were taken and trained. The training was for fighting the aliens invading the Other Aliens space. Smantha Mulder was taken in the place of her brother, they were Indexed at the same level. Samantha Mulder died during the last battle of the war. All abductees were duly wiped of any memories and returned. And that was it. Mulder looked up at Scully. She was crying as she spoke," Mulder, that doesn't bring back Kate or Samantha." He filed away the papers and continued his search for the Truth. THE END. " We look before and after, And pine for what is not; Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought. Yet if we could scorn Hate and pride and fear; If we were things born Not to shed a tear, I know not how thy joy we ever should come near." ---To A Skylark, P.B. Shelley