Page 26 - Demo

Natch!12something and then thought better of it. %u201cAs a matter of fact, I%u2019mon that team and I was heading down there.%u201d%u201cGreat!%u201d Jean couldn%u2019t believe her luck. She saw it as a goodomen for her first day. The OMG%u2019s now yip-yippeed inside herhead, as in %u201cOMFG! It%u2019s F. R. Will!%u201d%u201cRight down here.%u201d Will turned right and Jean eagerly followed.They ducked under some branches, angled up a slight slope,then stepped through a tunnel in a giant sequoia which emptiedinto a round space that served as their conference room. Aroundthe perimeter of half the room, a series of white boards offeredspaces for pinning up big sheets, drafting possible options, andsketching wild (some would say hair-brained) notions. On theother half, in between tall windows offering spectacular views ofthe way out there, moving images flashed scenes of an everchanging array of ecosystems. They were similar to the scenesshe had been admiring in the lobby. Their irregular shapesreminded Jean of portholes. A great stump in the center of thespace, large enough to accommodate some two dozen meetingparticipants, served as the conference table. Jean%u2019s first impulsewas to count the tree rings to ascertain the tree%u2019s age.%u201cTwelve hundred and ninety-seven.%u201d Will guessed what shewas thinking.%u201cHuh?%u201d Jean looked at him.%u201cYou were counting the rings. Everybody counts the rings.%u201d%u201cIt was 1,297 years old?%u201d%u201cYeah. Betty was a mess when the lightning struck it. Sheclaimed it had been her favorite thinking tree. Said she wassitting under it when she came up with butterflies.%u201dThena and Whimsy were already sampling the fresh fruit andassorted tea and coffee that had been put out. They looked upwhen Will and Jean entered.%u201cDid you bring the muffins?%u201d Whimsy asked.