The Voice of Free Earth

USELESS! “The Prince” continues. Christopher wasn’t “doctor material.” Christopher canceled his date with Lilly Ray, but chess with Doc Beale upstaged his planned reading of Machiavelli. Doc Beale quoted Shakespeare and offered up a lecture on life—even his dad bought into the test results. Christopher was “Useless as Tits on a Boar,” his dad had said so. Then "A Final Message From Free Earth” begins with a midnight call from the looney bin, but Christopher was on with his own life, and that ultimately took him to New York. There another call from Doc Beale with devastating news. A Smith & Wesson 38 Police Special went out in the mail. Later a call from Malika. Doc Beale was dead at fifty-four. There would be a funeral for Doc Beale in Free Earth. Christopher was conspicuous by his absence.

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF! "Philadelphia Lawyer” continues. Christopher was in motion, the barn party out of control. Finally the barn went down like a house of cards. Christopher went home, but was called to the office by his dad. Doc Beale didn’t even know about the barn—Mr. Learner had called him about the “Philadelphia lawyer” incident and locking Melvin Moody in the instrument room. A beating ensued. Perhaps having realized he was close to killing Christopher, Doc Beale proposes “turning over a new leaf.” A chance to start over was too good to be true. Then Mission Beale comes into the bedroom and tells Christopher that he would be going to see Dr. Bradford, a Psychiatrist, and he’d be driving the Impala! Only one thing was certain, Christopher wasn’t in Sissy Warrens pants.

THE KILLER INSTINCT! Christopher’s first wrestling match was in Sonora. His opponent was Otho Choate, a Senior who intended to break Christopher’s neck—but it was Otho who was taken to the hospital strapped to a stretcher. Christopher was an exceptional wrestler, and Doc Beale was happy about that. He was not happy about learning from Trout Cobb that Christopher had a new red vest, and had worn it to the Friday night Free Earth football game. Christopher would never wear red again.

THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH! "War Over Free Earth” continues and building the bomb shelter takes on increased urgency. Folks from all over Free Earth came in droves to work off a bill, and pay homage to Doc Beale. The ethical Doc Beale lived the Hippocratic Oath, and served all without “pay or promise.” Doc Beale lectures endlessly on medical ethics. Christopher is caught cutting class at Summer School, with predictably bad results. He is haunted by a reoccurring dream. Then it’s Christopher's turn for a driving lesson, as "Fear Of Almost Flying” begins.

SHOOT TO KILL! "Of Words And Wasps” continues as Christopher’s body is disposing of the Wasp-toxins, and he is consumed by a reoccurring dream. Then "Bigger Than a Bolt” kicks off as Martin and Christopher head to the garage, the last place Christopher wanted to be. Thank goodness Doc Beale wasn’t going to be there. Christopher became the ultimate garage-cleaner, and pushed Martin to the limit with a never-ending game. Doc Beale’s beloved Cottontail were disappearing, his solution "Varmint Patrol.” Doc Beale figured the most threatening varmints now were cats. Absolute madness ensues. An apparent respite had Gee Bee showing off for visitors, and Doc Beale grinding his teeth.

A PISTOL TO HIS HEART! "Calvin Grange” concludes. Calvin is dead. Christopher recalls finding a dead frogman at Jade Cove. Death is everywhere. "A Pistol To His Heart” begins as Doc Beale, Martin, and Christopher head to Mexico the night of Calvin’s death. Doc Beale is beat-up, hurting, but at peace with himself and takes an earthen stage with “A Pistol to His Heart.” Back at the Beale Ranch, Christopher and Malika wait for the school bus hoping to be rescued by Mr. Grange in one of his Thunderbirds. "Of Words and Wasps” begins as Chris and Malika head for the Barn in the rain to feed the horses. Christopher teaches Malika "Mares Eat Oats," and uses the moment to offer to sell her some of his used clothes. Then Christopher is back To the Zenith waiting for “The Three Minute Warning.”

GENETICALLY SUPERIOR! "Calvin Grange” continues, and though Calvin's boxing career ends, life on the Beale Ranch goes on. Christopher and Calvin hatch a great plan with Willy, about the biggest Gopher Snake anybody had ever seen, and a chance to scare Chesapeake half to death. Christopher imagines that Chesapeake actually has noticed him, and preps for an afternoon at the Granges pool with plans to impress her. The genetically superior Calvin is center stage as usual, but gets a shock and says, “I don’t feel good."

Ford vs. Porsche! The “Three Minute Warning” continues as Christopher prepares for the sound of that Ford Police Interceptor V8, and a almost nightly dinner table drama. Doc Beale is not a happy man. Then an amazing event as “Saturday Normal 356” begins and Christopher is invited to join his dad to have a look at a brand new Porsche 356. High anxiety about his first experience with a car salesman, but he fit perfectly into the little back bucket seat of that red torpedo and was ready for anything—including a new truth. The shortest distance between two points is not always a straight line, and so the Crooked Mile was born.

"The Big Dinner” continues, and shocked by Doc Beale’s praise, Christopher has changed. “The Grilled Cheese Menagerie” begins and the Beale’s are moving, and what a grand move it is. But daily lists and Gopher Patrol dominate life and Doc Beale seeks the ultimate solution with fire and brimstone to prove it.

"Of Rockets and Rocket Scientists" concludes, but had Martin really intended to kill Christopher? Christopher's zone grows by the minute, and Martin has a new engineering project. They are going to build a fort! What a joy; interrupted only by Christopher's first police drama, with Mr. Carson in a world of hurt at Doc Beale's doorstep. Then it's back to "Orland Boa’s Barn" and a whole new story begins, miles up in the barn's loft with a Lucky Strike.