his hands, he reached into his pocket and removed the key to the chest. Closing the lid, he locked it and wiped it with a clean rag. He turned to Ben and Max and smiled.
“Enjoy the trip back, boys. And watch out for the radar at Tulip Valley.”
“How do you know that?” asked Max.
Daniel checked his watch. “Trust me on that one, too. Just make sure you do the speed limit through that area. Can you come back next weekend? I’d like to have a look at your brakes.”
Ben looked surprised. “Don’t tell me they’re going to need replacing, too.”
“Hopefully not, but I need to take a peek. You may notice a shimmy in the steering wheel when you brake at high speeds. That’s the first sign.”
“OK, Daniel, next week it is. Same time, same place. Thanks for the nourishment, Elizabeth. See you later, Vic.”
“Remember what you learned here today, boys,” said Vic. “There’ll be a test next week.”
“I never had to study for tests in high school,” said Max. “No use starting now. Good-bye, Vic.”
Chapter 6. Secret #2: No interference
Allow the seed of health to be completely in tune and express itself fully with no interference.
Nature needs no help, just no interference. Allow the energy of the seed of health to reach every part of the body by keeping the body’s energy and communication systems free from any interference.
Ben was up earlier than usual on Monday morning. He had a breakfast meeting with a group of investors to discuss Max’s latest invention—a prototype robot incorporating global positioning system and electro-magnetic technologies. The idea had come to Max a couple of years earlier when he had attended the launch of the Segway, a two-wheeled, self-balancing, electric personal transportation vehicle. While watching a rider on the Segway, Max had envisioned a robot that could glide above any surface through the use of powerful electro-magnets that would enable it to hover. Gyroscopes like those in the Segway would enable the robot to maintain perfect vertical balance. And GPS technology would enable the robot to maneuver through crowded environments with laser-like precision. In the past, Max had worked on a variety of different projects involving all three of these technologies. Seeing the Segway inspired him to envision a robot that took advantage of all of these technologies to produce a device that could conceivably be used as a transportation vehicle and function as a personal assistant for disabled people.
Max had been a pioneer in the use of positional navigation technology to monitor the exact location of runners throughout an entire run by embedding a GPS chip into the soles of running shoes. Using the technology that he had developed, it was possible to measure, within a fraction of an inch, the exact distance someone had run. Furthermore, it was possible to measure the distance of a race course to a degree of exactness never previously achieved. Perhaps the biggest advantage, though, was that coaches were able to monitor every aspect of every run undertaken by their athletes, all from the comfort of their own home, and with equipment no more complicated or expensive than that required to watch satellite television. Max’s invention had made all of this possible several years before the advent of the wrist-watch GPS units that were now popular in the running community.
In order to continue to develop and refine the prototype robot, Ben and Max needed a significant amount of financing. Max was the ‘idea guy’, but Ben’s skill was in finding interested parties and convincing them to part with their money to turn the theories into reality. Ben had met this particular group several times before, and was close to closing a deal. He needed to get to work early and prepare his final pitch.
As he started out the door, Julia stopped him. “Don’t forget your bus pass, Ben. You won’t get far without it.”
“No thanks, honey. I haven’t taken the bus for over a week. I’ve been walking all the way there and back.”
“Ben,” she said, sounding surprised. “That’s about thirty blocks. Each way. How long does it take? I mean, it’s good that you’re exercising. I’m glad.”
“It takes me about an hour each way. So far I feel great, and it’s nice not to have squeeze into a crowded bus. I actually arrive at work feeling more refreshed than if I had taken the bus. I told you I was serious about changing my lifestyle. This is only the first step.”
“Well, Ben, I have to say, I’m impressed. Does this have anything to do with your friend in Wakefield?”
“Partly, I guess. I mean, the day I walked out of Dr. Jordan’s office a couple of weeks ago, I had already decided that I needed to do something in a big way. It was just chance that I bumped into Parsnips, or that he found me, but the events that have unfolded since then seem to have reinforced my decision. Don’t worry, I’m still going for my follow-up examination later this week.”
“Just don’t overdo it, OK, Ben? I’m concerned about you. I’m glad you’re doing something positive, but don’t jump into it too quickly. We both know how you like to do everything at a hundred and ten percent effort.”
“What other way is there?” joked Ben. “Don’t worry. I’m getting good advice from both sides of the health care fence. I’ll decide which side to come down on soon, though.”
*****
When Ben stopped in front of Max’s house on the way to Wakefield the following Saturday morning, he heard a slight squeak coming from his brakes. Since he stopped driving or taking the bus to work, he only drove his car on weekends, so hadn’t noticed this problem. Old Webster had made another correct call. Later during the drive on Highway 5, Ben applied the brakes just to test the result. As Daniel had predicted, the steering wheel shimmied in his hands. Remarkable, thought Ben. I wish I’d met a mechanic like him years ago. I could have saved a fortune in car repair bills.
“He was right again, wasn’t he Ben?” asked Max. “About the brakes, I mean.”
“One hundred percent, Max. He’s the best mechanic I’ve ever met. I wish he’d let me pay him directly for his work, though, instead of giving it to some charity. It doesn’t seem right—I mean, he doesn’t even charge me for the parts.”
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Ben. How many times have you silently cursed when you received a bill for repairs to your car?”
“Every time, Max. Every single time.”
*****
When they arrived at the Webster’s, Daniel and Vic were walking across the yard. The vice-principal talked while Daniel listened. At the edge of the driveway, they stopped and greeted Ben and Max.
“You made sure to arrive on time today, did you, Vic?” asked Max.
“No sense setting a bad example. I wouldn’t want to keep Dayton waitin’”.
“You might as well bring the car right in, Ben. Have you noticed the shimmy yet?” asked Daniel.
“Exactly as you predicted, Daniel.
