Jo-Mary Lake 26 July, 1984 0700 Local Time The first person to rise from bed that Sunday morning was Dr. Carpentier, who upon entering the common room smiled as he saw the sleepers on the sofa. Desiring not to disturb them before it was absolutely necessary, he quietly stepped into the rustic and powerless little kitchen and started the coffee brewing over a gas operated hot plate so that he wouldn't have to run Benton's generator. Michelle soon joined Alain, then Rachel woke up and came out of she and Dr. Quest's room. All three went about enjoying a quiet breakfast as they waited for Benton and Jordan to wake up and join them. It took them another hour, but Jordi soon enough began to stir, and in turn that woke up the doctor. They then ate with Alain while the ladies disappeared in order to get cleaned up. "Were you able to draw any conclusions from your analysis of the professor's journal?" Dr. Carpentier asked Benton. "Yes. His investigation was progressed enough that he had begun to concentrate on the environment around Northern Chesuncook Lake. Atlantic Coast operates lumber mills on all three of the major lake systems in this area of the White Mountains, but the bulk of the disturbances seem to be centered on the northern site." "We're working on the wrong lake, then," Alain replied. "Not at all. The professor had hoped that we would be safer based here while we worked all throughout the region on the matter of the unsolved disappearances. He actually persuaded Atlantic Coast to agree to support us with their two helicopters. In addition, he wanted us to study the environment here at the south end of the Ambajesus/Pemadumcook/Jo-Mary lakes system." Dr. Carpentier laughed a bit in disbelief. "He was investigating them, and still he talked them into offering to help us with their aircraft?" "The professor was both bright and a discreet political player." "What's on our agenda for today?" Benton smiled. "It's Sunday, Alain. Be it God's will, as soon as that pea soup for fog outside lifts, it's a day to play." "Ah!" And Dr. Carpentier messed the hair of his little student water skier, who had broken out in a wide smile at what Benton had said. Still, Dr. Quest was a professional. He took plenty of water and soil samples as the Sea Ray cruised all over the eastern lake system that morning and afternoon. Millinocket 27 July, 1984 0900 Local Time Monday was a business day for Benton, though Jordan had asked and been allowed to accompany him. They had decided to take the Sea Ray back through the channel and up Northern Jo-Mary Lakes, back down Ambajesus Lake to Twin Lakes, where they then pulled the boat up out of the water with the Blazer so that they could trailer it over to Chesuncook Lake. The object was to spend the night on Chesuncook after visiting the Atlantic Coast paper mill there. In addition to that trip, Atlantic Coast had sent a helicopter to Southern Jo-Mary Lakes, which flew Alain over to Kokadjo in order to speak to some of the Penobscot Indians who were living there about the disappearances in their area. Alain would return that night and rejoin the ladies at the cabin on Jo-Mary Lakes, but Benton and Jordan needed to stop for fuel and provisions in Millinocket and meet with the Atlantic Coast representatives who were coming there to lead them. The road that led up to Chesuncook Lake from Millinocket was privately owned by Atlantic Coast, and so Benton and Jordan would have to be escorted. But while they were at the airfield waiting for the men from the paper mill, a state police helicopter appeared overhead. Dangling about fifty feet below it was a bloodhound secured in a special harness. "What could that be about?" Jordan wondered. "Something that's not at all right," Benton replied. A tall and sandy-haired man of perhaps forty years of age appeared beside them. "There's something that you don't see every day." "No," Dr. Quest laughed and extended his hand. "Dr. Benton Quest of Rockport." The newcomer smiled and shook on it. "Robert Gary, from Bangor." "The son of David Gary, M.D.?" "Yes. Do you know my dad?" "By reputation," Benton admitted. "But my late father was a medical doctor, and he knew Dr. Gary very well." "Your late father, sir?" "He passed away a little over two years ago." "I am sorry," Robert sincerely replied. "Thank-you," Benton replied. "What science do you follow, Dr. Quest? Are you also from medicine?" the man asked after a few moments. "No, I work with phenomenology." Robert thought that one over for a moment. "The study of phenomenon? That must be VERY interesting." "It has been so far. ...Is that your Beech Baron, and are those your kids?" "The Baron belongs to my dad. The little ones are mine, though... Jennifer, 14, and Sean, 11. We've flown over in order to hike inland and do some camping. Is this boy here yours?" Benton smiled. "No, his father is Dr. Alain Louis Carpentier, an oceanographer from Montreal, Quebec." "Montreal?" Robert asked in confusion. "I know. Quebec is located well inland from any oceans." The man thought about that for a moment. "What's your name, kiddo?" "Jordan, sir." "Your dad's often away from home?" "Yes, but not too much so. Sometimes he's away for only a few days, and sometimes he's away for a few months. But when he's home, we have a lot of fun. Lately he's been home a lot. He says that it's about to change, though." "Oh?" Benton took over once more. "Dr. Carpentier is about to begin a very large project in the South Seas. He usually works with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute on matters in the Atlantic Ocean. But this time he'll be working with the Scripps Oceanographic Institute down in San Diego." "Are you going with him?" Robert asked Jordan. "He says no," the boy sadly replied. "I'm sorry." "It's important work," Jordan said. "It would have to be," Robert agreed. Two trucks from the lumber company arrived. "Dr. Quest, it's been a pleasure to have met you." "And yourself as well," Benton replied, shaking hands on it. "Jordan," Robert smiled. "Yes, sir." And they shook on it. The man then turned to go, but Benton stopped him... "Wait one." "Dr. Quest?" "If I may ask, what area do you intend to hike into?" "West, south of the Appalachian Trail." Benton thought it over. That region had not reported any problems, and Robert Gary looked like a good man. "Be careful." "I will." The man then left in order to help his kids with their camping gear. "Dr. Quest?" the senior escort walked up and asked. He was a medium height man of about fifty years of age, and he spoke in a high and slightly nasal tone of voice. "Yes?" Benton replied. "I'm Gordon Eisily from Atlantic Coast. I'll be escorting you up to Chesuncook Lake, and during your tour of our operation there." "Yes, Mr. Eisily." "Who's your young friend?" "Jordan Carpentier, the son of Dr. Alain Carpentier whom your company flew over to Kokadjo this morning." "Ah! Hello, Master Jordan." "Mr. Eisily," Jordan amiably replied. "What happened to that dog that the helicopter just brought here?" "That's what's left of our search party." "I don't quite understand," Benton said. Eisily then elaborated. "Oh, a party of campers disappeared up in the mountains a little over a week ago. We sent up a search party of men from our company... three strong lumberjacks. Several days later, the dog there showed up alone at the ranger station on Wadleigh Mountain. No sign of the men who brought her in there." "What do you suppose happened to them?" Dr. Quest asked. "Well, I guess they got lost too." "A rescue team? How is that possible?" "Look, I'll be truthful with you. These mountains aren't too safe right now." "Why is that?" Benton asked. He had a premonition, of course. But he also wanted Eisily's opinion on the matter. "Well, the Indians. They're angry in there. They're trying to keep the lumber company out, any way they can. People start disappearing, the Indians spread the word that they were taken by Katahdin. That's one of their local legends, they call it Katahdin. Sort of a bigfoot, I guess. Only it's uglier. Yeah, it's larger than a dragon, and it's got the eyes of a cat. The Indians, they throw everything into its description but the kitchen sink. You see, the idea of this legend is to frighten the lumberjacks into pulling out. The lumberjack, he's almost as superstitious as the Opies." "The Opies?" Jordan wondered. "Original People," Eisily explained. "Yeah, the Wabanaki, Abenaki, Kennebec, Passomaquoddy, Piscataquis and the Penobscots, they all joined together and called themselves the Opies." "What about those people, the ones who disappeared?" Benton asked. "Well, I'll tell you. If you asked me, I wouldn't have sent a search team in there. I'd have sent a posse." "You think the Indians are responsible?" Dr. Quest wanted to know. "There's no doubt in my mind," Eisily very dryly replied. "You all ready to go there, Wagner?" he then asked the man who was driving the second of the two Atlantic Coast vehicles, and who was refueling both. All told, the paper company had sent eight men, which did in fact surprise Benton. "We're ready if Dr. Quest is." A few minutes later, the first Atlantic Coast vehicle pulled out onto State Highway 11 and proceeded east towards Millinocket proper. Benton then followed with the Blazer and Sea Ray, with Mr. Eisily riding in the right front seat and Jordan in back. Lastly, the second Atlantic Coast vehicle brought up the rear. "You didn't come see Millinocket when you arrived the other day, did you Dr. Quest?" Eisily asked. "No, but I'm from Coastal Maine. I've been to Millinocket many times, and Jordi and I also put in there this morning in order to stock up my boat for our overnight trip." "Good. Then I don't need to point out the locations of the stores or anything. You know, all this stuff about the paper company's ruining the forest is pure myth. We've been running a pulp operation on Chesuncook Lake for twenty years. We plant seedlings every time we harvest the trees, and that land is more stable than when God Himself made it. I'll give Him His due. He didn't have modern science back then to help Him. We have hydroponics and silva culture techniques." "I'd say that He did pretty well under the circumstances," Benton replied. "Yeah. That He did," Eisily agreed. All three vehicles left Millinocket behind, then quickly came upon the entrance to the Atlantic Coast private road on their left. This was an amazingly scenic drive through the forest, a dirt road that ran up into the mountains, cut between Ambajesus Lake and Millinocket Lake, where it then came to a fork. The right fork of the road went straight to Chesuncook Lake's south shore, while the left fork wound up the southwest side of Mt. Katahdin and through Baxter State Park to Doubletop Mountain. It then turn west towards Soubunge Mountain, and then south towards Chesuncook Dam in order to rejoin the right fork of the road. Eisily wanted to offer Benton his choice of which way to go. However, the road before the fork was blocked by a human wall of Native Americans, eight men and women in all. The three vehicles were effectively forced to stop, and Eisily and his men from the front confronted the Indians, while Benton followed after ordering Jordan to stay in the Blazer. Still, the boy watched and listened with young eyes and ears that took in every bit of the ugly altercation. "Mr. Hawkes," Eisily began. "This is Dr. Benton Quest from the Environmental Protection Agency. Doctor, this is John Hawkes of the Penobscot tribe." "Mr. Hawkes," Benton replied by way of greeting. But the tall and very dignified Penobscot man of 35 years of age did not relent. "No vehicle from the lumber company comes through here." "This is against the law, John," Eisily replied. "Law has not brought justice." "The Supreme Court has issued a restraining order against this blockade." "Which supreme court is that, Mr. Eisily?" Hawkes asked. "The Supreme Court of the United States." The Penobscot grunted. "Yes, we've been to the Supreme Court. Now we're going to one that's higher." "Are you a part of this, Ramona?" Eisily asked one of the Penobscot women. "By birth, Mr. Eisily," she replied. "Is there no other way through?" Benton asked, already knowing the answer that would come. "No, Dr. Quest. There isn't," Eisily replied. "...John, tell your people to get out of the way." After a moment, Hawkes made a little motion that directed his company to move. They did, revealing a heavy gauge chain strung across the road between two large trees. Eisily just sighed and made the obvious decision. "Wagner, cut down those two trees." Wagner then produced a sturdy chain saw and stepped forward with the two biggest Atlantic Coast men, elevating the confrontation to a dangerous level. Benton couldn't allow it, and he raised his voice to Eisily. "I don't understand this. What are you trying to prove?" "The point, Doctor, is not to be intimidated. ...Cut 'em down," Eisily then told Wagner, who fired up his chain saw and moved forward. Hawkes instantly countered by stepping between the lumberjack and the tree which was his goal. "Don't let this happen!" Benton pleaded. "Mr. Hawkes, we're here to study the environment and see that the right things are done!" "Are you gonna stand aside Hawkes?" Eisily shouted over the noise of the chain saw. But the Penobscot was adamant. "I'm gonna tell you right now! You cut off my head before you cut down these trees!" And one of his people then handed him a two-sided axe, a big one with a four foot handle. Wagner responded by gunning his saw. "Please!" Benton tried once again. "Cut 'em down!" Eisily ordered. And Wagner set his saw into the tree. "Wait!" Benton cried, coming forward but being blocked by one of Eisily's men. Hawkes acted instantly, pushing Wagner away and raising his axe. Wagner then brought up his saw, and the battle was on. Wagner lunged with the saw, and Hawkes parried with his axe. Hawkes then came over the top with the axe, and Wagner blocked him. Still, John was forced to give ground, backing and eventually falling backwards onto a mound. Wagner came down on him with the saw, but the axe caught it, and John kicked his opponent away. He then stood up and went after Wagner, who met him solidly. After several more lunges and parries, both men came at each other with their weapons held high. They thus blocked each other with their arms high over their heads, and they stood face to face straining. Wagner won when he kicked Hawkes in the groin while simultaneously knocking the axe from John's hands, who then fell over the chain across the road. The victorious Wagner then gunned his saw right at the throat of his opponent, daring him not only to get up, but to move so much as a muscle at all. "Well, John! Will you let us through?" Eisily asked. "Stop it!" Benton cried while trying to force his way past the Atlantic Coast men. "Don't open it!" Hawkes ordered his people. "Stop it!" Benton once again shouted as he finally made his way around his man and came forward. "Stop it! Just what is it that you're trying to prove, anyway?" he asked both sides. "That they're murderers!" Ramona exclaimed. Benton wasn't having any of that. "Hawkes, I'm just an environmentalist! Now please! Open the damned thing!" "No!" Wagner continued to gun his saw right at John's throat. "Open it!" Eisily ordered Ramona, who finally seemed to come to grips with the reality of the matter. The Atlantic Coast party was obviously not coming through to cut trees, thus it made no sense to risk John's life at this time. She opened the chain. Wagner backed off, and Hawkes stood up and aside as the drivers each returned to their vehicles. Benton got into his seat and looked back at Jordan, who's face was streaked with tears. "I'm sorry, Jordi." "What was that, Dr. Quest?" the stunned boy very quietly asked. "Something very unnecessary. I'll explain it to you later." "Yes, Dr. Quest." Benton then started the Blazer and followed the first Atlantic Coast vehicle as it past between the trees and through both the Penobscots and the bulk of the Atlantic Coast men who now barred their way. When the last of the three vehicles had gone by and stopped on the right fork, the men from the paper mill got aboard and the defeated Penobscots were left behind. "Those are violent people, Dr. Quest," Eisily explained from the right front seat. "They get drunk, and they get violent. You have to show 'em that you mean business." But Benton wasn't about to discuss it. "When we get to the lake, the boy and I will need some time alone so that we can sort out what he saw." "I understand." "Do you?" Benton wondered, shaming the man a bit. It had been a silly, useless matter... one that had completely disgusted the Doctor. "I hear you," Eisily replied. And that was the end of that. Atlantic Coast Paper Mill Chesuncook Lake 1500 Local Time Benton had spoken to Jordan, ensuring that the boy fully understood all that he had seen. They then put the Sea Ray into Chesuncook Lake, and they and Mr. Eisily then proceeded up to the paper mill for their tour. On the way, Benton called Rachel who had the backpack radio. There were no problems at the cabin on Jo-Mary Lakes, but Alain's helicopter pilot had called earlier to report that he was running way late, and that something very interesting had come up regarding his events in the area of Kokadjo. Michelle then asked after Jordan, and Benton replied that he was just fine in spite of what had happened up in the mountains. There was no sense in alarming her. Eventually, the Sea Ray came upon the holding area for the mill's lumber stocks, and Benton slowed in order to make his way through to the plant. Once there, they tied up and followed Eisily as he showed them everything. They began at the flume, where it was explained that all of the wood that was unfit for lumber yards was fed through the elevated waterway into the grinding machine and turned into pulp. This was a very clean process that made no use of chemicals at all. Benton had no problems with it. Nor did he see anything wrong with the bleaching process in spite of it's use of chlorine in order to turn the pulp white, since it was obvious that the bleach stayed entirely within the plant. Next came the process by which the pulp was pressed into sheets and dried into paper. Again, no problems. The tour ended up in the room where completed rolls of paper were held. Still, something seemed wrong to Benton... something obvious. "Well, I guess that's it, Dr. Quest." Eisily smiled. "All clean as a whistle, huh?" Benton replied. "Did you see something wrong?" Eisily asked. Jordan stood by and listened, once again giving his full attention. Benton attacked. "Tell me this: what happens to the trees before they get here?" "They get floated down the lake to the plant here." "That's it? You don't hold them anywhere?" "We do if we get stacked up." Eisily responded. "Where do you hold them?" Benton then asked. "Oh, in the ponds north of here. It helps soften 'em up if we soak 'em." "Do you soak them in any chemicals?" "Well, you're gettin' out of my area at that. Transport's handled by a private contractor." "I asked you a question," Dr. Quest demanded. "Well, I'm answering your question." Benton pressed the issue. "You're responsible for whatever end product leaves this plant. You hire the contractors, you sell the paper. You're responsible for all aspects of the business from beginning to end." "How many pages in this report you're gonna write?" Eisily asked. "I asked you a question." "Now let me ask you one, Doctor. How many pages, a hundred? How many copies, a thousand?" "I want to know what chemicals you're using." "None!" "I don't believe you." "What? Well, then you take water samples. That's what we do. Now look: if we used any chemicals, they would squeeze out in the pulping process right into the watershed in front of this plant. Now we test that water every ten days, and there's not a damn thing floating in it that we don't know about. Go on. Test it. We got nothin' to hide." Benton just crossed his arms and let it stand for the time being. Eisily then showed them a bit more of the plant before seeing them to their boat, which had been tied up directly to the muddy shore line. There was a large log extending from the dry ground to just under the boat's bow. Jordan climbed up onto the log, but his right foot slid off into the mud as he walked across to the boat. He then regained his balance and made it to the bow, where he removed his now heavily soiled right boot before standing up and walking aft. Benton then came aboard and manned the helm as the men from Atlantic Coast pushed them out into the sound. They were soon on their way, and Jordan began to clean his footgear as Dr. Quest wove around all of the floating logs. "I believe him, Dr. Quest," the boy said once they were far out into Chesuncook Lake. "Why, Jordi?" "Why would he have offered to let you test the water?" "Maybe it's not in the water." "I'm sorry?" Jordan asked. How could the chemical that the Doctor had in mind not be in the water? "Maybe it's heavier than water, Jordi. That silvery stuff on your boot... Is it dry?" "Yes." Benton just nodded, slowing and stopping the boat on the far side of Gero Island. "Wait right where you are, and don't move. Don't even put your boot back down on the deck." The Doctor then went down into the boat, returning within a minute with two large trash bags, two large and heavy towels, and a bar of soap. He put down the towels and soap so that he could work first with the trash bags. Mesmerized, Jordan watched Benton put one bag into the other so that they formed a double sack. He then held the sack open before the now thoroughly confused boy. "Put your boots in the bag, Jordi. ...Now undress." he said once the boots were safely put away. Jordan removed his shirt and held it above the open bag. Benton nodded, and in went the shirt. The boy then had no doubts about what to do with his jeans, though he stopped at the point of removing his underwear. "In the lake," Benton ordered him. And once he was in the water, Jordan reached up over the Sea Ray's swim platform and dropped his socks and shorts into the bag. Dr. Quest next put everything in the bag away where it would be safe, and then he tossed his now skinny-dipping little friend the soap. "Scrub down completely, Jordi." The boy did so while Benton washed down the back of the boat in order to remove the residue from the area where the boots were being cleaned. But after a few minutes, he went below and returned with some shampoo. Jordan then did his hair in the lake, after which he climbed up the ladder of the swim platform and immediately wrapped himself up in the towels. "Go below and take a thorough fresh water shower, and afterwards get dressed," Dr. Quest finally said. The boy instantly obeyed, but returning in fresh clothes in several minutes asked the obvious question as the Doctor started up the boat and throttled forwards. "Please, Dr. Quest. What chemical is it?" "They gave us a trick question when I took chemistry in college, Jordi. What's the only liquid that isn't wet?" "What was the answer?" "Mercury." End Part III