The Good Doctor's Tales Folio Six Read Online Free PDF

a titular member of the executive council, a courtesy extended to all the local first generation Focuses.  “Marcia, Lynn and Christina are going to make it, as well.”
    Tonya nodded.  Marcia Abernathy, Lynn Roscoe and Christina Hubenak were the other politically important members of the second generation Focuses in the Northeast Region.  In Tonya’s opinion, Marcia was a twit who didn’t deserve to attend even the open meetings, but Suzie Schrum had pushed and gotten her in the executive committee anyway.  Another vote in Suzie’s pocket.  This made seven attendees, and the implications of having those exact seven were not lost on Tonya.  Something fishy was going on.
     
    All morning, various Focuses and entourages trickled in, squeezing seven entourages into four campsites, each greeting the others in turn as they arrived.  After a large snack and lunch, the Focuses gathered around the most remote picnic table, with Suzie Schrum claiming the end of the table, sitting there like a queen on a ratty folding chair she had provided.  Two hours of household chit-chat had already passed, the sort of chit-chat that could continue all day, with the number of Transforms each of the seven of them were responsible for.
    “Focuses, we’ve got a problem, and I’m not going to dance around the edges of this one,” Suzie said, after putting down her fork.  She was beautiful, as almost all Focuses were beautiful, but in a pinched, narrow sort of way.  Her light brown hair was always a tad off, and her mouth settled naturally into a frown.  Silence descended like night at her statement, all eyes now on Suzie Schrum.  “Focus Julius has become unhappy with some of the recent Council decisions and has decided to start up a rival group to either split the Focuses or to replace the Council.”  Suzie’s comment brought mutters from everyone except Polly, who Tonya realized must have already known.  This was a big problem.  Mary Beth Julius was one of the first Focuses, in fact, the eldest of the active first generation Focuses.  Tonya had never met Focus Julius, and knew little about her, as Julius was a South Region Focus and had never attended any of the national Focus Council meetings during Tonya’s tenure.
    “As you may or may not know, Mary Beth was the leader of the Focuses for the first half of the planning phase of the quarantine breakout,” Suzie said, grimacing and tapping her forefinger on the wooden table.  “I wouldn’t say her leadership was an unmitigated disaster, but it was close.  Only after Focus Rhodes was killed by the FBI did Shirley take over.”
    Nods around the table, and more muttering – the story of Marla Rhodes’ death was one of the more well-known Focus stories, with a moral none of the first or second generation Focuses could ignore.  Focuses weren’t alone as Major Transforms, and their male opposition, though secretive and supposedly non-existent according to UFA official policy, were dangerous in their own right.  Tonya hadn’t known Rhodes’ death led to Focus Patterson’s takeover of the pre-Breakout Focus leadership.  Tonya didn’t participate in the muttering, instead keeping her attention directed at Suzie Schrum.
    “The group she’s started up she’s calling the LPS, the Lucy People’s Society,” Suzie said, gazing at each of the Focuses in turn around the table.  “Have any of you been contacted?”
    Tonya shook her head, but Polly nodded, as did Lynn and Christina.  Christina suddenly looked pale.
    “I see,” Suzie said.  Her bodyguards walked up to her back, and improbably, Christina’s walked up behind Christina’s back, as well.  “For those of you who have not been contacted, the stated goal of the LPS is to aid the FBI and other governmental authorities who are trying to hunt down the renegade Focus-Monster, Stacy Keaton, and to make it such that when other Focus-Monsters transform, they are treated like true Monsters.”  The authorities