Hoist the Jolly Lucas

By David J. Wighton

Hoist the Jolly Lucas is a story that reveals some unlikely alliances. For example, the Wilizy made a secret agreement with one of Zzyk's officials that saved many innocent aboriginals from being kidnapped and tortured; However, the Wilizy had to reveal the location of their home base. Really? They told him where they were living?

Here's another strange alliance: A BC government official kidnapped Will and Izzy and offered to sell them to Zzyk or any other interested parties. Later he decided to keep Izzy for himself because he wanted to use her to 'replenish his family,' which sounds downright nasty. Izzy confessed to him that she had sinned by living with the Wilizy but claimed that she didn't have a choice. That alliance had been forced on her. Does Izzy's confession mean that Will is on his own and he has to save himself?

The timing of the kidnapping couldn't have been worse. The Wilizy family was running an operation against a country that would be supplying Zzyk with advanced brain bands. The adults had to leave that operation to hunt for the kidnapper. That meant that Lucas would lead his scurvy band of pirates, aged 7 to10, in a battle against another 18th century sailing ship. Naturally, he hoisted the jolly Lucas before he attacked. That's what pirates do.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David J. Wighton
• Release date: Nov 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311473950

David J. Wighton

David Wighton is a retired educator who enjoys writing youth novels when he's not on a basketball court coaching middle-school girls. The books in his Wilizy series peek at how people lived after the word's governments collapsed in the chaos that followed the catastrophic rise in ocean levels and the disappearance of the world's last deposits of oil. Luckily today, in the 2080s, the citizens of Alberta are safe because their It's Only Fair society uses brain-bands to zap people whenever they break a rule. That way, all children grow up knowing the difference between right and wrong. Unfortunately, they're also taught that women's ankles need to be covered so that men can't see them and turn into perverts. Plus, no-one in Alberta can have babies any more because the government manufactures them in a way that ensures that no child has an unfair advantage over any other child. All of this makes sense to Alberta's dictator, but not to Will and Izzy – two teenagers who are decidedly different from everyone else.Wighton's novels have strong teenage characters driving the plot and facing challenges that, in many respects, are no different from what teenagers face today. His novels are intended to entertain and readers will find adventure, romance, suspense, humour, a strong focus on family, plus a touch of whimsy. Wighton also writes to provoke a little thought about life in today's societies and what the future might bring. Teachers may find the series useful in the classroom and the novels are priced with that intent in mind.

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From Izzy's journals: Thursday, September 1, 2082, 11 p.m.

That first Assassination Day evening, the family was milling around in the meadow next to the big old empty pioneer house. That wide clearing gave the best view of the sky and Will had promised us that we'd have a personal viewing of my surprise. I don't believe that anyone other than Will knew what the surprise was going to be. I had tried to worm some information out of Wolf earlier in the evening, since he and Wizard were in charge of starting the surprise at 11:00 p.m. in Alberta's five cities. I figured Wolf would know what it was; he said he didn't. All he knew was that he and Wizard had to be as high as possible in their portion of the sky over Alberta before sending the wireless Fire signal. Everything else was automated after that.

We had actually been in the clearing for hours. The men had built a big bonfire, and that, and the big full moon, were giving us plenty of light in our narrow little valley. We had fat wieners and fluffy white marshmallows to roast, hot chocolate to drink, and many of us were dancing to the music from Wolf 's portable P.A. system. We had been enjoying a good old-fashioned barn dance without the barn.

At 10:55, Will changed the music to Unchained Melody and he lead me into the middle of the clearing and we began to waltz. Just like we had danced on the WZBN promo show. But I pulled Doc and Granny into the clearing with me, and Hank and Yolanda came too. TG and Yollie were soon dancing with Liset snuggled between them, her little arms hanging around each of their necks. Stu was waltzing with Winnie in his arms and the boys had stopped sword fighting with their wiener sticks and were wandering around looking at the sky.

A huge BOOM made us all jump, and then we just stared at the sky as coloured lights streamed down amid mini-explosions from additional rockets launched into the sky. Everyone was responding with ooohs and aaahs and particularly sparkling bursts of colours brought spontaneous applause. Even Liset was clapping her hands, her eyes bugging out of her face; Winnie was telling Stu how she had seen some of these colours in California when Will was doing his research and how she had kept her promise not to tell anyone.

Too soon, we heard two powerful explosions, followed shortly afterwards by two more, and I knew Will was telling me that this had been all for me. I felt something well up inside of me and I grabbed him tight and gave him my A#1 kiss – the one I had never dared to use before. Will must have been holding one back too, because I lost track of time after that. I remember him lifting me off the ground and slowly turning in circles while we were locked in an endless series of kisses. I was melting and shivering at the same time, if that were possible. I remember thinking that as soon as Will put me down, I was going to take him into the woods. Tonight was going to be the night.

Then I felt my toes touch the ground. I pulled my lips away from his, grabbed his hand and turned to sneak away. And ran smack into Hank and Yolanda. Doc and Granny were right behind us in case I had turned the other way. Before I could say anything, Will was answering Doc's questions about what chemicals were in the fireworks and how he had created the colours. Naturally Will agreed to help the men check the firing locations for unexploded shells. Couldn't have the boys hurting themselves, could they.

Me . . . I was being hustled towards the compound with Granny holding onto one elbow and Yolanda steering me with the other. They were chattering about what chores had to be done tomorrow and what they would like me to do. I turned to look back at Will, but Yolanda turned me firmly back towards the compound and whispered softly in my ear. "Tonight is not going to be the night, Sweetie."

Yolanda took me to her root cellar and parked me firmly on a wooden crate of some bottled fruit or vegetable. I was opening my mouth to give her a blast about meddling in my life when she sat down on her own crate and turned the kerosene lamp off.

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Chapter 2

The Narrator: September 1, 2082.

Nobody knows what Zzyk said or did during the evening hours of Assassination Day. However from events that followed, we may assume that Zzyk's thoughts about the re-appearance of the WZBN broadcasts in Alberta's air waves went something like this.

# # # # # # # #

Naturally, one of my staff drew my attention to the announcements urging Albertans to watch the WZBN on the evening of September 1. The re-birth of the WZBN broadcasts so soon after the DPS had supposedly shut down all of the Wilizy's broadcast capabilities revealed that Rick's celebration of the death of the Wilizy movement was premature. Zurt had to be alive. If Zurt were alive, so was The Slut. And so were Ingrid's treacherous son Ivan and his daughter. Rick had failed me badly. So had Ingrid, but Rick had worked hard to convince me that his assassination plot had succeeded. Ingrid had been trying to warn me that Rick had been fooled.

I had expected the worst and so I had sent the staff out of the command bunker well before the start of the Wilizy's last show at 10 p.m. Rick and Ingrid joined me in the command center – as I ordered – and sat in the chairs I had put out for them. We all stared at the screen without comment for the entire hour. I made a note of The Slut's challenge that I couldn't destroy their transmitter but didn't pay much attention to their plans for their upcoming shows since the new brain-bands would prevent any Albertan from viewing them. I also noted Zurt's use of rocketry to create the light show. There had been ample evidence that he had used missiles to destroy my planes. Now The Slut was bragging about his late entry into the rocket field with his tiny meaningless sparkles.

The sexual acts that they engaged in at the end of the broadcast were difficult to watch. I closed my eyes instead and focused on listening to Rick's breathing as it accelerated during their despicable coupling. Biometric measures in the chair will confirm if I'm right about that breathing. I'll also check to see what controls Rick has on his brain band, if any. I suspect they'll need to be increased.

The multiple repetitions of Ingrid's favorite words of condemnation – stupid, stupid people – caught me by surprise. I assumed that this was proof that her son was alive and that he had shared intimate details about his mother with the Wilizy. The Slut probably had inserted those words into the broadcast to taunt me. However Ingrid did visibly react to hearing her words. Was she happy that her son was alive? Biometrics will reveal her true feelings.

I noticed that Zurt had lost a tremendous amount of his behavioural conditioning. The clowning, the dancing, and the obvious sexual attraction to The Slut were all signs of deep moral weakness seeping through the brain-band safety barriers. I'll add Zurt's slide towards depravity to my strategic spreadsheet later. But for now, I suspect that the odds of capturing and putting him to productive work have shifted dramatically. If so, further plans for his capture can be abandoned. Annihilation had always been the easier strategy to execute. A single missile can achieve that quite easily. I've already identified a promising infant to replace him; her education can be accelerated.

After Rick and Ingrid left, I examined their biometric reactions to the show. That prompted me to update a private file that I've been maintaining.

# # # # # # # #

• April 30, 2082: Somehow Zurt destroyed my pumping stations, somehow he eluded capture, and somehow he destroyed multiple troop transports parked at different bases around Alberta at the exact same time. Only B.C. would have the capability of doing all of that simultaneously. Rick was in B.C. on April 23 and 24. He said that he was trying to backtrack the crate that Zurt had sent to The Slut.

• May 5, 2082: A para-gliding platoon was deceived into attacking a fake Wilizy camp and they were captured without a single soldier firing a shot. Platoon members said that they were surrounded by an estimated force of over fifty soldiers. Only B.C. could have put those numbers into the field so quickly. The commander of my forces willingly entered a copter and left the battlefield. Sources in B.C. report that he was in Surrey days afterwards. Rick was in B.C. only days before that defeat. He said that he had been talking with Ivan, but I have no way to confirm that.

• August 25-27, 2082: Rick was in B.C. checking on their border security. Two days later, Rick tried to convince me that Ingrid's hairs had killed Zurt and The Slut.

• August 30, 2082: After learning that he had been beaten by Zurt and The Slut, Rick watched a video of them having sex. His biometrics revealed increased breathing and an accelerated heart rate. How long has he been attracted to The Slut? Is that attraction why his decision-making has been so flawed? Rick is completely free from brain-band controls. Do I need to impose some? Or has he been fatally corrupted by a near-naked, gyrating, red-haired, white body? Some loyalty tests should produce the answer. Regardless, I will assess whether Rick's #2 is ready for promotion to #1.

• August 30, 2082: Why would Ingrid's biometrics show relief that Ivan was still alive? How did Prudhoe's missile fail to kill him? I have long expected that Alaska might not be the steadfast allies that they have claimed to be. Is this the beginning of their treachery? I shall start a file on Ingrid as well.

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Chapter 3

The Narrator: September 1.

Once again, I must write a chapter without the benefit of written records. Based on what happened later, this kind of conversation must have taken place. But I can't tell you who exactly is speaking or even where in Alaska the two people would have been at the time. I'll identify them by rank.

# # # # # # # #

Subordinate: Sir, the WZBN is back up and running. Will and Izzy have to be alive.

Commander: If so, Ivan has to be alive too. How?

Subordinate: We're checking. It was definitely Ivan's voice talking to us and the copter was definitely destroyed. We are assuming that he managed to transfer to some other transport before the missile struck.

Commander: A boat?

Subordinate: Probably. Something that was inflatable, low slung, and non-metallic. The escape boat was fast enough to be far away by the time we had enough light to check the crash site visually.

C: So an empty copter tried to avoid the missile. How could Ivan have managed that?

S: We're assuming that he was able to rig up a wireless pilot of some kind before he landed at the genetics lab. He has the technical know-how to do that. However we wonder if that simple copter could be automated.

C: Could the Wilizy have employed a radar-proof aircraft?

S: It's unlikely that they have the science to do that because Zzyk kept Will away from that knowledge. Moreover the specialized materials that such aircraft require haven't been manufactured for decades and second-hand radar-proof aircrafts aren't on any of the underground markets in weaponry. We track such information closely. Ingrid has reported that any success that the Wilizy have had can be attributed to small copters and long-range weaponry.

# # # # # # # #

C: What's your department's assessment of Zzyk now?

S: Zzyk has been beaten badly by the Wilizy three times. His science is old and he's not a good strategist. Blunt power doesn't work well against the subtlety that the Wilizy is employing.

C: Will the Wilizy beat him?

S: Not quickly with only copters and long-range weaponry. Zzyk will face an internal coup first.

C: You mean in addition to our own?

S: Yes. Rick will act soon. When he does, we can either make sure that Rick fails or that Zzyk eliminates him beforehand. We already have our people in the IOF's genetic and technical commands; plus we have the sleeper. When the time is right, we'll step into the IOF command structure without opposition. Six months to a year from now, perhaps.

C: The Wilizy?

S: They're a small group without any military training that we can determine. They've been lucky, but they're vulnerable now that Zzyk can find their lair. To smash them completely, Zzyk will ask us for help. We'll enter Alberta by invitation and remove both Zzyk and Rick after we destroy the Wilizy. The new brain-bands will keep the population under our control.

C: How long before both Zzyk and the Wilizy are out of the picture?

S: The eggheads are predicting a 50 per cent likelihood that we'll control all of Alberta by the end of the year. That goes up to a 90 per cent probability if Zzyk senses an imminent internal coup and calls on us for help.

# # # # # # # #

C: That boat bothers me. How could the Wilizy transport a boat all the way up to the Beaufort Sea? A boat from Prudhoe is much more likely. That suggests assistance from inside Prudhoe.

S: Yes it does. We've already started a number of files.

C: Do you believe that Zzyk or Rick might have stashed a boat up there?

S: We've always known that Alberta would not remain steadfast allies but such treachery would be difficult to slip past Ingrid. She's been very close to Zzyk for a long time.

C: Perhaps too long to remain loyal to us? We know that somebody saved her son's life. She'd have the contacts inside Prudhoe who could have provided a boat.

S: Should I send a message to the sleeper?

C: Yes. Somebody is going to betray us – I can smell it. Tell the sleeper to maintain a close watch on Ingrid and Igor. Rick too, as always.

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Chapter 4

From Izzy's journals: Friday, September 2.

I can't say that I was looking forward to our planning meeting today. Yolanda's comments to me last night in the root cellar totally trashed the good feelings I had after the success of Dead Man Walking. After she had finished yammering at me, I tried to explain all the pressure I was under – devising plans, fighting a deadly opponent, wanting to have sex with Will, and not expecting to live much longer. She kept saying Been there, done that. Yeah. Right. Yolanda's biggest stress in her life is trying to keep her house clean with five rowdy boys living in it. Somehow I'm supposed to believe that she went through what I'm going through?

However Yolanda was right about my decision to have sex with Will being a mistake. I'll give her that one. I don't know what came over me; I knew that my pregnancy would cause the Wilizy some problems. So yah, I shouldn't have tried to sneak off with Will. Especially without any protection.

I now have six foil-wrapped birth control packets. I only took them so that she'd get off my case. She said that they were part of her stash and she showed me where she kept the main supply in case I wanted more. They were at the back of a top shelf in the root cellar in a wooden box labeled Brussels sprout seeds, something all the boys in the family hate. I don't know why she'd need a box that size. Somehow I'm supposed to believe that a middle-aged, married woman with eight kids is going to have sex often enough to need all of those packets?

Anyway, I've decided that I'll always have a foil-pack nearby in case I ever go crazy with love again. She was right about irresistible urges being irresistible, so I learned a lesson, I suppose. I didn't appreciate the Been there, done that comment when she claimed to have had them too. I told her that I definitely was not going to have sex until I was married. Then she did it again. Been there, done that. Why would I care what an old housewife did or didn't do when she was young?

Yollie had warned me that Yolanda would meddle. She said that I should take the bad with the good. She's right, I suppose. Other than last night, Yolanda has always been very nice to me. But I wish that she hadn't pretended to be something that she wasn't. She doesn't have the faintest idea what I'm going through. How could she? She hasn't been in a war where she could die if she made a single mistake.

# # # # # # # #

The planning meeting went well. Yolanda didn't give me any dirty looks and actually talked to me like everything was normal. Yollie was a pain in the butt though; acting giddy the whole time. She calmed down after I reviewed what TG had told us about the new brain-bands. Zzyk was going to have control of everything Albertans did, said, and thought. I had been thinking that we could gradually take brain-bands away from Albertans and replace them with fake bands. That plan won't work if Zzyk installs those new bands. When I asked if anyone had any ideas other than installing fake bands, Hank suggested that our focus should be on stopping Zzyk from installing the new ones. Nobody had any ideas on how to do that. We eventually struck a committee to come up with some options. Will, Wolf and I are on it.

We also talked about what Zzyk's response to our victory would be. Everyone agreed that he'd attack us somehow, but we couldn't imagine how. Whatever he does, it's going to be nasty. I can smell it.

Hank handed me an unsealed envelope at the end of the meeting. Some ideas about how we can punish Zzyk for intruding into B.C. space and help ourselves in the process, he said. Show it to the man in the gray suit. I'll add details if he likes the potential.

I said I would, of course. But after reading the note inside, I couldn't make much sense of it. Leverage through intrusions of prison towers and value of the steel; threaten second transmitter Mount Assiniboine; threaten helping Albertans find long-lost relatives. Ask cash; settle land. I'll show it to Franklin Franklin. Perhaps he'll know what Hank was suggesting.

I noticed a little interchange between Yolanda and Yollie as we were leaving the ship's main deck. Yollie was brushing by Yolanda and, while doing so, she grabbed her hand and slipped something into it. Yolanda looked down and popped it into her pocket, but I saw a corner of what Yollie gave her. It was a foil packet like what Yolanda had forced on me. I knew that Yollie had been instructed to carry those around with her too. But why would Yollie be giving a foil packet to her mom? She has her own stash in the root cellar. No way that Yolanda would run out of her packets this year, or even the next. Then TG was telling me that he could find out where the new brain-bands were being manufactured. I asked him to join the committee and I forgot all about Yollie.

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Chapter 5

From Izzy's journals: Saturday, September 3.

I dropped into the compound the next day, thinking that I'd grab TG and perhaps fly-over Prudhoe Bay to see if anything up there had changed. The compound was mostly deserted but I found Winnie and Liset playing in the living room. Winnie was building wooden block towers and Liset was knocking them down and laughing.

Where's everyone, Winnie? I asked.

Down at the Henderson's. TG and Liset are going to move into their place. I'm babysitting for another twenty minutes and then I have to peel carrots and cut up carrot sticks for Liset.

I waved good-bye and wandered over to the square of log houses. I didn't know which one was the Henderson's, but figured I'd hear voices. The neighbour families were all on holidays – otherwise they would have been invited to our Assassination Day party. I saw Yolanda and Yollie through a window and paused. They were hugging. Yolanda was caressing Yollie's left cheek and then, she pulled Yollie's face to her and kissed her right cheek. I had never seen her do that before; had thought that Yollie was having a melt down because their hug was so tight. Both were smiling; obviously not a melt-down.

I sauntered noisily through the front door. Anyone here?

In the kitchen, Izzy. Yolanda's voice.

By the time I got there, Yollie and Yolanda were on opposite sides of the room. Feeling guilty about hugging? Winnie said that TG and Liset are moving in here?

The Hendersons are not coming back, Yolanda replied. TG needs his own house and the Aboriginal Nation agreed that he should take over this one. Hank and TG are going through the house and making a list of things they're going to need.

I had noticed the living room when I came in. Two nice cushiony sofas, even a black leather recliner. A glass topped coffee table on a blue wooly area rug and pictures of mountains on the wall. The kitchen had a table with four chairs, some yellow place mats on the table and painted plywood counters (in yellow) with big Mason jar canisters. Based on what I saw here, the bedrooms downstairs probably had real beds, closets with doors, and even some bureaus for clothes. This was an impressive home! Place looks full of stuff, I said.

The Hendersons took their personal possessions and are going to guard the border further north. They left the Nation's furniture behind. Their children were long gone so there's nothing here now that's suitable for a two year old.

Thought I'd grab TG and fly up to Prudhoe for a look-see.

His schedule is full for the next couple of days, Izzy. He and Hank will be visiting some thrift stores, plus he has to spend a ton of time with Liset so that she'll start to accept him as a parent. Right now, she's only comfortable around Winnie. Perhaps you could try Wolf?

I'll check, I said, but I already knew that I wouldn't. I don't like being bossed around. If I had wanted to go up with Wolf, I would have found Wolf. There was an uncomfortable moment where nobody had anything to say. Y&Y were looking at me. Waiting for me to leave? OK, see ya. And I left but peeked through the window on my way back. Y&Y were back in a hug. Yolanda with her left hand touching Yollie's cheek; another kiss on the right. The two of them were whispering? Either Yolanda has had a new personality implant or I'm missing something here; went back to the compound. Winnie will know what's going on.

# # # # # # # #

I found Winnie still sitting on the floor but Liset was wandering around the living room, touching things. Yolanda's living room seemed empty now. All of her glass vases were gone as were the framed pictures of the kids. Breakables. They'd be hidden some place that Liset couldn't reach. What'cha doing?

Waiting for Liset to decide what she wants to play with next.

Who's taking over the babysitting after your turn, I asked.

I dunno. The schedule is on the fridge.

I wandered into the kitchen. I had figured there'd be a schedule. I didn't expect two. One for Liset; the other for TG. The next three days were all blocked off into thirty minute segments. Yolanda had identified who was babysitting Liset in each interval and, as well, what TG would be doing during this time. I saw the trend – he'd be gradually increasing the time that he'd be spending with Liset. But today, he was scheduled to be with Hank through to 4 p.m. After that, he was with Liset until her bedtime. Tomorrow he was heavily booked with Yolanda, but assigned to Liset for all the meals. Plus he'd be with her for bedtime. I saw Yollie's name sprinkled liberally throughout the three days; noticed that she had babysitting duty first thing every morning starting at 6 a.m. TG didn't become involved until it was time for Liset's breakfast. Hmmmm. Yollie's kind of old for a sleep-over party, isn't she?

That foil packet that Yollie slipped into Yolanda's hand yesterday? I figured that it was empty and Yollie wanted Yolanda to know that it was empty. I'm guessing that Yollie is going to be spending a lot of time at TG's house from now on.

Back to the living room. Winnie was on the sofa with Liset on her lap. They were looking at an old-fashioned cloth book for toddlers. A wooden crate of cloth books was at Winnie's feet. It was true. Hank never does throw anything out. I sat down next to Winnie.

These used to be mine. I still remember them, she smiled as I leaned over to see the illustrations. "Liset, do you remember Aunt Izzy? Can you say Aunt Izzy?"

"Aunt Izzy?"

Mom says that children have to learn to address their elders properly.

I'm not an elder.

Sure you are. You're way older than she is. Do you want to read a book to her? Liset likes hearing the stories and seeing the pictures.

Sure, I guess.

"Mom says that we should read to Liset a lot so that she'll enjoy being around books. Then she'll want to learn