By Fos
Well, while the convention continues, I wanted to take some time to tell you a story I witnessed firsthand. This happened many lights, ago, so many I can't count them. What Mr. Jim doesn't know is that I have been following him around for a very long time, since he was a young man.
One time, on a certain project, it was his job to escort Big Things called "contractors" across the sea to check out some equipment that was to be installed at his papermill. When I heard about this, I was certain I did not want to miss it. So, I slid in his briefcase, went home with him, and then along on the trip.
As I understand it, these contractors were being paid to go along on this trip so that they could see the equipment and learn how to install it back at the papermill. Well, Mr. Jim and these Big Things met up at a huge, I think it is called airport. They got on an airplane and Mr. Jim slid his briefcase under the seat. It was slightly open, so I could see what was going on.
The other Big Things started drinking fire water (that is what we call it, our ancestors picked it up from Native Big Things) before we even got off the ground! This continued for the whole trip. In one place we landed, the contractors learned that pretending to make babies was legal. Even as a Rat, I was embarrassed what was going on there.
Typical light would be we would all meet for breakfast, go see equipment all day. The contractors, of course, were suffering the effects of the firewater all day, so they were not learning much. Then, in the evening, Mr. Jim would go to his room and who knows what the contractors were doing after that.
One morning, we were all in the hotel lobby. We were going to leave that country that day. One of the contractors was furiously going through this luggage looking for, I think it is called a "passport." He couldn't find it. Mr. Jim was laughing at him; told him he would have to stay there.
The contractor finally decided he must have left it at the place where he was the night before, the "legal" place. He went there and Big Things were cleaning it up from the night before and he found his passport there.
Mr. Jim had stated a rule before the trip started that everyone was individually responsible for being where they need to be to catch transportation. He was glad he made such a rule.
Installing the equipment back at the mill did not go well. I have often wondered why...
