can’t even start the lawn mower—”
“Please answer my question, ma’am. Did you see any machinery you believed to be defective?”
“No. Not that I was aware of.”
“How fast was the driver of the tractor going?”
“I’m…not certain…”
“Mrs. Nelson…isn’t it possible the flatbed just hit a bump?”
She seemed to be focusing on a point in the center of the table. “I don’t think so…”
“But you don’t know for sure?”
“The dirt field had been recently graded…”
“Do you have personal knowledge of that fact?”
She placed her hands under her arms. “No.”
“Can you say with absolute certainty that the flatbed didn’t just hit a bump?”
Abernathy hoisted himself up again. “To which we object.”
“On what grounds?”
“On…ummm…I object to the form of the question.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Mrs. Nelson, that’s what we call an objection for the record. Your counsel will renew it at trial, if he’s not too embarrassed. For now, however, you must answer my question.”
“I don’t think it was a bump.”
“But you can’t rule it out?”
“No. I suppose I can’t.”
“And it isn’t Apollo’s fault that the driver took that flatbed over a bumpy field, is it?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Thank you,” Ben said, relieved to be done with it. “I appreciate your honesty.”
15
B EN STARED HOPELESSLY AT the map.
“I’m sorry, Christina. I’m lost.”
Christina clicked her right turn signal and pulled onto the side of the road. “I knew I shouldn’t let you navigate. You have no sense of direction whatsoever.”
“I offered to drive.”
“Yeah, but then we’d have to take that beat-up Honda of yours, and I don’t, carry enough life insurance for that. Your Honda is seriously déclassé. When are you going to get a new car, anyway?”
“After Apollo makes me wealthy beyond my dreams of avarice.”
“Any day now.” She tugged at the map. “Here, let me.”
He resisted the tug. “I’m perfectly capable of reading a map.”
“I know,” Christina said. “Unfortunately, you’re reading it upside down.” She took the map from him and turned it right side up. “Now this could solve a lot of your navigational problems.”
“Is it my fault the orientation wasn’t clearly marked?”
Christina declined to comment. “I’ve been turning left off this dirt road when I should’ve been turning right. Which more than likely explains why I keep missing Camp Sequoyah.”
“Well, speed it up. We’re late.”
“Aye, aye, commandant.” She started the car and returned to the road. “Personally, I’m suspicious of anything that takes place this far from civilization as we know it. What is this DARE retreat, anyway?”
“All I know is that DARE stands for Daunting Athletic Ropes Encounter, and frankly, that’s more than I want to know. The schedule says we have Training Exercises at noon, Crackerbarrel at eight, and tomorrow, at six A.M., something called the High Course.”
“I don’t much care for the sound of that.”
“Ditto. But Crichton seems to think this is important. Fosters team bonding and leadership skills and all that rot. And something called the Universal Yo!”
“I hope he’s right. Personally, I haven’t bonded too much in my short time at Apollo.”
“Well, maybe Crackerbarrel will do the trick. I’m sure Herb will be there. Mark my words, you’re going to love Herb.”
Christina spotted the overhead arch that announced they had arrived at Camp Sequoyah. “You’re too late. I’ve already met Herb. Great guy. Real savoir faire. The whole time we talked, his eyes never rose above breast-level.”
“Well, maybe Candy will keep him in line.”
Christina drove down the narrow country road that led to the main campsite. “I don’t see a parking lot.”
“Nor do I think you’re likely to. Just watch for a lot of other cars. I’m sure Herb and Chuck have been here for hours buttering up
“Please answer my question, ma’am. Did you see any machinery you believed to be defective?”
“No. Not that I was aware of.”
“How fast was the driver of the tractor going?”
“I’m…not certain…”
“Mrs. Nelson…isn’t it possible the flatbed just hit a bump?”
She seemed to be focusing on a point in the center of the table. “I don’t think so…”
“But you don’t know for sure?”
“The dirt field had been recently graded…”
“Do you have personal knowledge of that fact?”
She placed her hands under her arms. “No.”
“Can you say with absolute certainty that the flatbed didn’t just hit a bump?”
Abernathy hoisted himself up again. “To which we object.”
“On what grounds?”
“On…ummm…I object to the form of the question.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Mrs. Nelson, that’s what we call an objection for the record. Your counsel will renew it at trial, if he’s not too embarrassed. For now, however, you must answer my question.”
“I don’t think it was a bump.”
“But you can’t rule it out?”
“No. I suppose I can’t.”
“And it isn’t Apollo’s fault that the driver took that flatbed over a bumpy field, is it?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Thank you,” Ben said, relieved to be done with it. “I appreciate your honesty.”
15
B EN STARED HOPELESSLY AT the map.
“I’m sorry, Christina. I’m lost.”
Christina clicked her right turn signal and pulled onto the side of the road. “I knew I shouldn’t let you navigate. You have no sense of direction whatsoever.”
“I offered to drive.”
“Yeah, but then we’d have to take that beat-up Honda of yours, and I don’t, carry enough life insurance for that. Your Honda is seriously déclassé. When are you going to get a new car, anyway?”
“After Apollo makes me wealthy beyond my dreams of avarice.”
“Any day now.” She tugged at the map. “Here, let me.”
He resisted the tug. “I’m perfectly capable of reading a map.”
“I know,” Christina said. “Unfortunately, you’re reading it upside down.” She took the map from him and turned it right side up. “Now this could solve a lot of your navigational problems.”
“Is it my fault the orientation wasn’t clearly marked?”
Christina declined to comment. “I’ve been turning left off this dirt road when I should’ve been turning right. Which more than likely explains why I keep missing Camp Sequoyah.”
“Well, speed it up. We’re late.”
“Aye, aye, commandant.” She started the car and returned to the road. “Personally, I’m suspicious of anything that takes place this far from civilization as we know it. What is this DARE retreat, anyway?”
“All I know is that DARE stands for Daunting Athletic Ropes Encounter, and frankly, that’s more than I want to know. The schedule says we have Training Exercises at noon, Crackerbarrel at eight, and tomorrow, at six A.M., something called the High Course.”
“I don’t much care for the sound of that.”
“Ditto. But Crichton seems to think this is important. Fosters team bonding and leadership skills and all that rot. And something called the Universal Yo!”
“I hope he’s right. Personally, I haven’t bonded too much in my short time at Apollo.”
“Well, maybe Crackerbarrel will do the trick. I’m sure Herb will be there. Mark my words, you’re going to love Herb.”
Christina spotted the overhead arch that announced they had arrived at Camp Sequoyah. “You’re too late. I’ve already met Herb. Great guy. Real savoir faire. The whole time we talked, his eyes never rose above breast-level.”
“Well, maybe Candy will keep him in line.”
Christina drove down the narrow country road that led to the main campsite. “I don’t see a parking lot.”
“Nor do I think you’re likely to. Just watch for a lot of other cars. I’m sure Herb and Chuck have been here for hours buttering up
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