Earth
The persistence of memory can occasionally be a treacherous part of being human. Lois learned this because right there in Perry’s familiar office, the last few years evaporated into an aching nothingness. Abruptly, she found that she had reverted to a nervous, untried eighteen-year-old in the administrative building of New Troy University, walking cautiously through its wide, drafty corridors, searching for the college newspaper offices. It was only three days into the autumn term. Early that morning a note was slid under the door of her dorm room requesting a meeting with Professor Robert Hennessy, head of the university’s Journalism Department.
Upon opening the department’s main doors, Lois encountered two other people sitting on sturdy wooden chairs just outside the Editor-in-Chief’s office she immediately recognized her fellow students. The girl on the left was Linda King, trendily dressed with reddish-blonde hair and gold hoop earrings. She was casually reading the latest copy of L’Officiel, a French fashion magazine – that was newly arrived on American shores. In the chair on the right sat a lanky, handsome guy, with the scruffy beginnings of a goatee, bent over a substantial textbook, The History of American Journalism. This was Paul Talmadge.
Linda and Paul, Lois knew, were among the brightest and most accomplished students in New Troy’s journalism program. If they were here, this meeting had to be important. So, the big question bouncing in her mind was, why was she here?
“Hi. Is this where we wait for Prof. Hennessey?” she timidly asked the duo.
Linda looked up and surveyed Lois with a critical eye, thought for a moment, and then gave the other young woman an easy, disarming smile. “Yes, this is the place where all our hopes of great writing begin. Have a seat. The professor ought to be along soon.” She smiled again and then returned to her magazine.
Lois sat down on the remaining chair. The threesome waited in companionable, but anxious silence.
Suddenly, the door banged loudly open, and Professor Hennessey barged through it. All three students sat up in surprise, their attention turned toward the noise and sudden movement. He carried a battered, black leather briefcase, obviously unable to close as it was bulging with papers, files, and a copy of the Daily Planet. With his overstuffed bag, his wiry black hair rapidly going gray and an expression of bemusement on his face, Professor Hennessey projected the stereotypical image of an absent-minded college educator. Gesturing eagerly with his right hand, he ushered them into the office, which at first glance was surprisingly spacious and inviting.
On the far wall stood a sturdy wooden bookshelf which held thick leather-bound volumes, as well as an eclectic grouping of science fiction paperbacks. Sandwiched in the middle was a compact stereo system. A large black and white photograph of London’s Victoria Station during the early twentieth century was set over it. Next to a long wooden desk was an upright steel file cabinet which no doubt held lecture notes, test templates, and lesson plans. On top of the desk were file folders set neatly to one side while a massive computer monitor covered nearly the entire remaining surface.
With a casual, almost forgetful wave of a hand, Hennessey bade them all sit on a long, red leather couch that had seen better decades.
The professor made himself comfortable at the large wooden desk. Reaching into the briefcase, he pulled out three manila folders with their names typed on the edge and laid them on the desk.
“Very well then, let’s get right to the matter! As you are aware I’m the Editor-in-Chief of the Troy State Weekly, a rather prestigious position to be in when one is training and teaching future journalists. Unfortunately, I find myself in the awkward situation of having barely any staff. Several graduated last year, three transferred to schools in their home states, and one intrepid soul joined the Peace Corps, of all things.”
It was silent for a minute as he studied the young people before him. “So, you three are going to be the foundation on which we will build the new staff of the Troy State Weekly.”
Lois, flushed with pride and excitement, piped up. “That’s great news! But … why us?”
Tapping the folders to emphasize the point, he said, “Glowing reports have been provided by your professors. I … we all expect top-notch work from each of you.” He shifted his gaze and looked directly at Talmadge before continuing. “Between possessing the highest-grade point average in this group and four years’ experience working summers for The Dayton Journal-Register, you shall be my Assistant Editor.”
For the first time the young man spoke up enthusiastically. “Assistant? Me? It’s an honor!”
Professor Hennessey smiled warmly, “Let’s hope that thought remains the same in six months’ time. The newspaper business is demanding, even at the college level. Being my assistant will tell whether or not you can survive the newsroom environment when the stress is unbearable.”
Paul nodded thoughtfully but asked aggressively, “Like what?”
“Like, will you kill a story when a dear friend is involved, and public exposure will mean the end of his career and possibly wreck his family.”
“Oh.” The younger man said, his eagerness quietly deflated.
Hennessy charged on without taking a breath, he wanted Talmadge to chew on that. “Miss Lane and Miss King, along with Mr. Talmadge, I am depending on both of you to get up to speed quickly in order to support the other first-year students. Each of you has worked for your respective high schools newspapers from freshman year until graduation. Those four years provide much needed experience, which puts you ahead of the other six students joining the paper this year. They are talented writers, but lack time in any newsroom, be it school or otherwise.”
Before Lois could speak, Linda said aloud the words that were in her mind. “How are we supposed to teach them about running a newspaper?”
“The same as every other newspaperman … uh, excuse me, in yours and Miss Lane’s case newspaperwomen. By involvement in your chosen craft … both hands on experience and guidance from me. That having been said, there is no doubt that errors shall be made, which in the beginning I will accept and we shall move on from. But with each day’s experience the romantic mush planted in your minds by films and high school newspapers will be stripped away and from the cocoon shall emerge competent journalists. And, of course, you’ll keep your grades up in all coursework. Otherwise, neither I nor the paper can use you.”
Lois’ eyes grew wide with trepidation. So much for Prof Hennessy being absent-minded and warm-hearted! The educator before them was a force to be reckoned with. She remembered during summer lectures the professor being witty yet probing. Now she was going to find out what it would be like to work with him.
Suddenly Linda blurted out, “How are we supposed to do all that?”
He turned an unflinching set of appraising brown eyes on her and said simply. “Welcome to the real world of journalism, Miss King.” Pointing to the magazine sticking out of her handbag he said. “Take, for instance that publication you were reading, L’Officiel. According to my wife, it is a swanky Parisian fashion magazine. Only printed monthly, the effort to put it together still takes as much, if not more, dedication than writing a daily newspaper. Should you wish to work for such a periodical, here is the place to learn how to put in the hours to do so.”
Linda’s lips pulled themselves into a smile that struck Lois as mocking. But to the other girl’s credit, any sarcastic remarks were wisely kept to herself.
Turning to Paul, Hennessey said, “I understand you have a gift for languages and wish to write about international finance. Learning two such different topics will be quite an accomplishment and should assist in your goal of being a journalist.”
Paul did not answer either question but nodded solemnly in the affirmative.
Finally, Professor Hennessey spoke to Lois with a hint of the warmth she remembered from class. Perhaps he wouldn’t be so demanding after all? “Ah, Miss Lane. It has come to my attention you wish to be a sportswriter. As you are aware, while journalism has a reasonably fair share of women, the niche of sportswriters is generally dominated by men. It shall take an unprecedented amount of fortitude to make your mark in that arena. Still, from what I have heard, you possess that particular quality in abundance.”
Lois blushed. Meanwhile Hennessey judiciously examined their expressions, noting that each was surprised at his intimate knowledge of their particular interests and ambitions. Over the next four years, it would not be the last time he would catch them off-guard.
“Working here shall be a proper training ground for all of you. There are several important keys to being an exceptional journalist. You’ll have to learn to develop contacts, question everything and hone your individual research skills if you want to succeed at the Troy State Weekly. Those are not even the top three! Now then, are we ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work?”
After a second’s pause, a low chorus of ‘Yes, Professor Hennessy’ pierced the air.
He nodded, scrutinizing their expressions for any hesitation. Seeing none he said, “Brilliant!” Picking a file from on top of his desk he continued, “Now, let me outline the opening article for this year’s first edition.”
***
From that fateful beginning, the trio had worked together on the college newspaper. It was a privilege to be a staffer on the Troy State Weekly. The paper which had been founded in 1869 by students, with the head of the Journalism department acting as Editor-in-Chief. Professor Hennessey guided the staff through many jobs within the paper. At the same time handled the high-level duties such as overseeing spending; commissioning stories and art; managing production schedules and editorial calendars, plus supervising editorial staff. As a respected and busy tenured educator, he was deeply involved in his department’s administration and had a full class load on top of his work at the paper.
As a consequence of Professor Hennessy’s busy academic life, much of the day-to-day work fell to Paul who was before long proving equal to the task of being Hennessey’s editorial assistant. Actually he was more like a managing editor, overseeing the everyday operations of the publication. This included generating story ideas; and then planning, assigning, and editing those stories.
This left Lois, Linda, and four other newspaper staffers to report on sports events, campus happenings, and school news. They also delved into world and philosophical issues that reflected the interests of New Troy University students.
It was a heady nectar to imagine that the stories they wrote might make a difference in the lives of their fellow students. Each reporter’s youthful idealism magnified the other’s. As a result, the NTW staff developed close bonds. Privately, Lois hoped all of them would gain positions on prestigious newspapers in New Troy. Perhaps some of them might work as interns for the famous Daily Planet.
The goal of not just an internship, but to actually win a place in that publication’s sports department, was at the forefront in her mind as she labored over her articles at the Weekly.
Allie Dinello, a former boxer turned physical therapist and long-time friend of her father’s, thought that Lois had all the makings of an accomplished sportswriter. He encouraged her, but also cautioned her that it would be an uphill climb, since that profession was dominated by men.
Lois was all too well aware of that fact but was determined to win her place among some of the best sport writers in the nation.
At some point over late nights working on story notes, she developed a strong attraction to Paul and, on a dare from her roommate Molly Flynn, asked him out. He was happily surprised and the two went for burgers and a game of darts at one of the local taverns, the Riverstone. During a flirtatious game of darts, Lois won both games and a sweet kiss from Paul.
Lois was so glad to have taken her friend’s advice; it was the answer to a prayer. She could hardly believe how lucky she was to have such a handsome and talented boyfriend! It was a gift to finally have someone to depend on and listen to all the crazy concerns and fears of a first-year college student. Oh, Paul was ambitious and had a defiant streak, but the twin qualities of compassion and being a good listener usually won out over his rebellious side. A person only had to look past the long dark blonde hair kept in a ponytail and the scruffy goatee to see his finer qualities.
Despite his somewhat unruly appearance, Lois and Paul became a very recognizable couple around the New Troy campus. They participated in the usual college activities, attending dances, taking part in student debates, and watching amateur plays with their tight circle of friends.
Linda was a central part of that circle, along with whatever guy she was dating at the time. During their freshman year, Linda and Lois became good friends. In fact, she coaxed Lois to start building a fashionable wardrobe which would be suitable for interviewing or working as an intern during summer break. Linda also contrived to have Lois update her make-up and hairstyle, so she wouldn’t appear like a cheerleader stuck in the late 1980s.
Time passed like this until they returned from winter break of their junior year. Lois’ roommate, Molly Flynn had dumped her long-time boyfriend, Ryan Wiley. During a tearful conversation, Molly confided to Lois that she was certain he had been cheating on her with Linda. But Ryan vehemently denied it and there wasn’t any proof – except for the ephemeral scent of Linda’s signature perfume, Davidoff’s Cool Water for Women on him – Molly kept quiet about it. But she nevertheless warned Lois to be careful around her.
Sam and Ellen Lane had heard so much about her two college friends and Paul Talmadge that they wanted to meet them. So, after dragging her feet for a while, Lois had brought Paul, Linda, and Molly home one Saturday evening for dinner. While Sam and Paul shot a game of pool in the basement, the women chatted and cooked in the kitchen.
After her friends had departed, the Lanes gave Lois their opinions on the young people. Her father thought Paul was pleasant and a decent pool player but needed maturing – and that meant he was not good enough for Lois in the long term.
“Daddy, you say that about all the boys I date.” Lois groaned.
“Wait until your daughter brings some young fella home,” he responded gruffly. “Then my attitude and advice will make perfect sense.”
On the other hand, Ellen Lane thought Molly was a smart, capable woman who would go far in her chosen career. Sadly, she did not particularly care for Linda. Mirroring Molly’s own concerns about her, Ellen thought that the younger woman was more interested in men than her studies. She had even asked why the underlaying tension existed between Linda and Molly. She steadfastly ignored the nagging comments from both her mother and other girls on campus about Linda’s behavior regarding men. After all Linda was her friend.
Despite her father’s warnings, Lois was thrilled to be growing ever closer to Paul. In moments of complete fantasy, she even imagined that they might marry soon after graduation.
Another year at college passed. Then, in the late spring of senior year, persistent rumors of a cheating ring floated around campus until they reached her ears. It seemed that a group of monetarily challenged students were accepting bribes to take final exams for students that put less of their time into academics – athletes who had to maintain a firm grade point average, and even entitled students who were too lazy to do the required reading. Lois determined that she would carefully ferret out the machinations of the group and the names of the students involved for her next big article in the New Troy Weekly.
Because she would be going to bars and felt a little uncomfortable going alone, she asked Linda to accompany her. Her friend had a winning smile and easy way about her that Lois tried hard to copy. In a way she almost thought of her is a disguise. Sometimes they would head over to Riverstone, the local pizza parlor that was always jammed with students on a Friday night, or the Quad, a sports bar favored by the athletes.
There she would ask unsuspecting patrons about the rumors regarding students who took tests for others. It was remarkably easy for them to do. To create viable covers, they both posed as bored girls who attended college only because their parents insisted, or sometimes as worried students who wanted to pay for someone to take important examinations for them – exams they could not pass without ‘help’.
She was grateful Linda had given her make-up tips so both of them looked the part of a bored, rich college girl. each time they spoke to a confidential source. The adrenaline rush from working on this article was more exciting than covering a nail-biting down-to-the-last-minute basketball game. This was real reporting, and the investigation took a considerable amount of time. Still, her work finally met with success as she uncovered the names of the wealthier students and the paid test-takers.
She wanted to surprise Paul by writing a story that would cause not only him, but the entire staff to sit up and take notice. She even planned on giving Linda some of the credit. After all, without her help talking to sources, the article might not have been as successful.
After classes every night that week, she toiled in her dorm room at a cramped wooden desk outlining the story, crafting it into an article Professor Hennessy would appreciate. When the story was finally completed, she thanked Linda and showed where all of her research notes were hidden … along with some key sources which the other girl previously didn’t know about.
The morning before she planned to present the article’s final draft to Professor Hennessey, her Uncle Mike had appeared in her dorm room to tearfully tell her that Sam Lane had suffered a heart attack. With trembling fingers, she called campus administration to informed them of the situation with her dad.
It was a terrible shock for the family. Only last year Mike Lane’s wife, Rita, had passed away after a short, fierce battle with pancreatic cancer. Now this tragedy has happened. Thankfully, with the aid of a highly skilled ER team, her father had survived and was expected to make a full recovery. Although the family had been badly shaken, Ellen had comforted her daughters during their time of turmoil, and had rarely left her husband’s bedside. Drawing strength from one another made the Lane family stronger and more resilient than ever.
Once her father had been transferred from the CICU into a regular inpatient room on the fifth floor of MetroGen, Lois felt confident enough to return to campus and she was also eager to take her story over to Prof. Hennessey. However, when Lois had returned to the dorm, she saw a copy of The Troy State Daily stuck halfway under the door. On the front page in bold, black letters trumpeted the headline:
Campus Cheating Ring Exposed!
By Linda King
As she read the article a rigid, cold ball of ice formed in the pit of her stomach, only to melt away and be replaced with steaming white-hot anger. Every line written was her story, but Linda’s name appeared in the byline. How had this happened? More importantly … why? She had to talk with Paul and Professor Hennessey right away. Without another thought, she dropped the newspaper and broke into a desperate run towards the Journalism Department.
How she managed to get to the newspaper office so quickly was a mystery. But as pounding feet covered the quarter mile to the main administrative building, it seemed to her every student on campus was reading the paper and making loud observations or comments. Linda King’s name and the article’s revelations was on everyone’s lips.
One classmate even shouted, “Hey Lois! This is a great article! Wish you had written it!”
Lois yelled over her shoulder as she passed by, “I did write it, you moron!”
Without expecting an answer, she continued running, her face distorted into a tortured grimace as her body moved forward. The person who had called over to her was understandably shocked and not a little confused.
It was a bright early spring day, with a slight nip in the air, yet her body felt heated as it trembled with pain. Running flat out was a foreign thing to her and the protests from tired legs made running at that sustained pace difficult. With fading energy, she reached the administrative building, yanked open the heavy steel and glass door and trotted down a wide corridor, bustling with students, teachers, and administrative staff. She turned and headed towards the corridor that housed Professor Hennessey’s office and the Troy State Daily headquarters. At this point, her tired lungs were burning, and lactic acid had doused her muscles, which were screaming in agony, since they were unused to such exertion,
As she drew closer to the newspaper’s main office, the trot had turned into an undisciplined, broken walk. Finally, she slowed and stopped just outside the door. It was slightly ajar, and she could hear Paul’s rich baritone from outside the room. The air was fragrant with Linda’s favorite scent, Davidoff’s Cool Water for Women. With its sweet-smelling notes of pineapple, lotus, and ocean air, it was something that she always yearned to spray on but had judged as too sophisticated for her. Now, breathing in the once cherished perfume made her sick because she remembered what Molly said … Ryan smelled of it one day.
Rather than enter the room, Lois leaned against the wall and, took shallow breaths in an effort to get her breathing under control as she eagerly listened. Meanwhile not a few people in the corridor looked at her rather oddly.
“Great story! Everybody on the campus is talking about it. But I still say we should have run it by Professor. Hennessy first – especially something this controversial.”
A honeyed voice replied. “Oh, come on! All the evidence is right there! Dean Zucker is talking to those low-life frauds even as we speak! A lot of them are going to be expelled by day’s end. Think of how proud the professor is going to be with us. We can expect not just an internship or some entry-level grunt position, but actually do real reporting for any major newspaper in the country! Think how a bigger salary will work towards paying off your student loan? This story is our ticket!”
Paul responded in doubtful tones. “I …I don’t know, there is something about this article that doesn’t sit right with me.”
The honeyed tones changed and became flinty … higher. “Really? What makes you say that?”
There was silence for a moment and then he spoke, “It … it’s the style. This reads like something Lois would write. Tell me again how all this evidence and material was gathered together?”
Throwing up her hands in frustration Linda groaned, “Evidence? Look at the sentence structure, word cadence and descriptiveness. Our sweet, naive LoLo, is still learning how to write with subtlety, an art I have clearly mastered. Besides, I told you, we started this story together, but she dropped the ball … so I finished it. She let a personal matter get in the way of exposing these lazy sneaks.”
Lois bristled fairly upon hearing those words. Some ‘friend’ Linda was turning out to be! Her mother, Molly, and the other girls on campus had all been right; at the first chance, Linda had stabbed her in the back.
Paul took a deep breath, hesitated, and then said, “A parent’s illness is more important than a story. I don’t know. The style seems to be a hybrid of you both … maybe I should have put her name under yours.”
Hearing those words were like a soothing balm to Lois’ heart. Paul was her champion after all. He would figure out the facts about Linda’s betrayal and together they would present that truth to Professor Hennessey and Dean Zucker. By day’s end there would be another fraud’s name to add to the list of expelled students.
It was quiet in the office, Lois was about to lean forward to see what was going on when Linda’s voice, no longer challenging, but soft and seductive, said, “If I remember correctly, there was no discussion about Lois’ writing ‘style’ in my bedroom last Thursday when I told you about this story. She was the last person you were thinking about. Let me see, how did you put it? That your sweet, innocent girlfriend was a little … frigid?”
She heard a sharp intake of breath, then Paul answered softly. “Shh! Not so loud. No. I said she isn’t ready to take our physical relationship where I … wanted it to go. Look, I admit that I wanted credit for editing the article. When I graduate there’s going to be a hefty student loan that has to be paid off. There might be a job waiting for me at the Washington Post if I show something impressive enough to grab the recruiter’s attention. Maybe after today, Hennessey won’t see me as just his shadow.”
Linda’s voice went soft again, her easy words were full of promise. “Oh baby, I could never imagine you in anyone’s shadow. After this article, he will let you run the paper without getting in your way.”
Paul’s voice was hesitant when he said, “I … I shouldn’t be going along with you. This article it’s … Lois’. Someone will find out.”
Confident that she had won, Linda answered. “Let me take care of Lolo and Professor Hennessey. After all, I have the notes and research.”
Lois heard the sounds of kissing and the rustle of clothing being rearranged. She gritted her teeth in anger. Paul’s voice seemed to float to her ears from far away, “Yeah, what the hell. With this assignment under my belt, the D.C. job is mine.”
“Good! In three months’ time, we will be working for the Post.”
“We?” Paul asked huskily.
“Of course! We make a great team! You didn’t think I was going to let you travel around the Beltway alone did you?” Linda purred in a throaty whisper Lois could barely make out.
During their hushed conversation, the administrators and clerical staff that had been traveling between class periods had all entered their respective offices and the spacious corridor had grown quiet. Only Lois remained, attempting to control her breathing, still leaning against wall, and listening as two people she once thought to be loyal friends, had word by word, eroded her trusting nature like rushing, cold water over a stone. Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she leaned against the wall, allowing the coolness of tile and concrete to chill her back which had grown damp with perspiration.
A veil of stillness surrounded Lois as the resonance sounds of eager kisses and furtive, gentle moans reached her ears. Paul, the man she had secretly thought of one day marrying, was taking her friend as his paramour. Lois took in a shallow breath of cool air, laced with the poisoned scent of betrayal, and finally looked around the doorway. She watched as Paul enfolded his strong arms around Linda’s waist, his lips pressed firmly against hers. The sensual sounds of the lovers’ kisses became difficult to hear over the echoes of her fragmenting heart. Before Lois could step into the room and confront them, the door was closed, and the harsh, metallic sounds of a lock slamming into place echoed down the corridor.
Between the exertion of her run and the emotional pain of hearing such a conversation Lois was too drained to fight. With her head down and with slow, leaden steps, she departed the administrative building.
***
Six weeks had passed since the exposure of the campus cheaters ring. With as little fanfare as possible, all the students involved had been questioned and the guilty ones had been quietly expelled from New Troy University. Needless to say, a great deal of pushback from several highly influential parents and their lawyers was heard. Due to the strength of the evidence presented to them, including the confession of some off-campus sources willing to back up the evidence, it was apparent those expulsions would stand.
Evidence that had been presented by Linda King and Paul Talmadge -- not Lois Lane.
Lois had fled the administrative building after listening in on their conversation, fearful of what she might do to both traitors if she had entered the office and confronted them with their lies. Instead, she found Professor Hennessey, told him what happened and handed in her resignation from the paper. She was too hurt and embarrassed to work with them again, especially knowing they were now lovers.
The professor had listened to Lois carefully and then promised to look thoroughly into her accusation but requested that she neither say nor do anything to Talmadge and King. He refused to accept her resignation, saying she had nothing to be ashamed of. He also told her to find any scrap of evidence that would convince him the article was indeed hers. Plagiarism was a serious charge and would poison any future career plans for all three of them.
Then, two days later, Lois went back to work on the paper only to discover she had been promoted to editorial assistant. Paul had been sent to work for one of the journalism professors as a teaching assistant. Senior year had begun to wind down, and as a result, Professor Jonah Rickerts needed help putting together the final materials for a textbook. Paul’s skills had been requisitioned. To an outsider, it seemed like a reward for editing such a groundbreaking campus article. But Lois knew that this was Professor Hennessey’s way of keeping Lois from having to work with her ex-boyfriend. The job was really a punishment. The professor that Paul would be working for was an obsessive tyrant. Although the professor promised to pay well, with his cold nature and perfectionist tendencies, he would make the job unbearably miserable.
Another unexpected change was that Linda was no longer on staff.
Linda had resigned from working on the paper. Apparently, finals required all of her attention. So, although she remained on campus, their paths never crossed. Lois heard from Molly the real reason that Linda stayed in her room was due to pressure from the parents of the expelled students. There were rumors that one parent in particular threatened legal action. Linda was actually scared to appear around campus, fearful of being confronted by a process server.
The two had gotten what they deserved, but it still rankled that Lois received no recognition for the article. She had worked diligently on this investigation and she wanted the article to shine a light on this particular case of corruption -- to help clean up her corner of the world.
Investigating wrongdoing was so much more satisfying than writing about athletes. True, what they did was laudable, but winning games did not have a long-term effects on the average reader. Her article did. It was something she would have to give a lot of thought to in the days ahead.
***
With graduation only a week away, Molly and Lois’ dorm room was a jumbled space, full of boxes crammed to the top with clothes, books, papers, and other memorabilia from their four years at New Troy University.
Molly dumped an armload of unnecessary computer programs into the trash bag in the center of the room. “Unbelievable! I can’t believe in a few days all of this will be a memory. When I first walked into this room I only had two sets of sheets, my clothes, a lamp, and a typewriter. Now look at all this stuff!”
“Yeah, we sure did collect a lot of junk.” No sooner had the words exited her mouth, than a program from the Footlighters, a campus acting troupe, spilled out of a book. It was the first event she and Paul had attended as an official couple. The play had been Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Angrily, she crumbled the paper into a tiny ball and pitched it into the garbage bag.
Not knowing what it was, Molly cheerfully said, “Three points!”
Before Lois could respond, there was a knock on the door. It was a clerk who worked in the administrative building. The young man smiled at Lois, handed her an envelope, and then departed.
“What’s that?” Molly asked while Lois hastily tore open the envelope and read.
“Ha! Something I have been waiting for – a meeting with Professor Hennessy. He wants to see me right now.”
“Do you think it’s about the Cheaters Ring article?” Molly asked breathlessly.
“What else could it be? All our classes and finals are complete. I’ve cleaned out my desk from the New Troy Daily office. It’s either that or hopefully a job opportunity. After all, Hennesesy’s got a lot of pull with editors in publications across the country.”
Her friend nodded and said, “Something will turn up. Its early days yet.”
Lois gave her friend a wan smile. Molly had been recruited to work for Peter Fences. His computer software was causing a global revolution in how people worked and lived. After graduation, she was driving across the country to the northwest coast. Lois had lost so many close relationships in the past few weeks and was already keenly feeling her roommate’s absence.
Quietly she said, “Let’s not lose touch with each other, Molls. I don’t know what I would have done without your support these past few weeks.”
A gentle expression appeared on Molly’s face. “You won’t. Lois Lane is going to be a world famous reporter some day and I intend to brag to my family and friends that I knew you when! Besides, somebody has to keep you from eating all that unhealthy red meat. Now get going! Don’t keep the Professor waiting!”
Lois changed quickly from her dusty t-shirt and jeans to a lightweight, yellow sundress. On a whim she applied a little make-up as well. Simply the action of getting ready for this meeting brightened her mood somewhat as she exited the dorm building. She looked up and saw a lone bird, perhaps a falcon or eagle, with fringed edges on its wings, flew high above on the faintest of wind currents surveying its territory. Perhaps she would feel just as carefree after this meeting? With a decidedly purposeful stride, she walked across campus towards New Troy University’s administrative building.
She knocked firmly on Professor Hennessey’s office door.
“Come in!” was the response.
Stepping inside, she noticed the transformation to the space and was pleased he had decided to update the room’s décor. The London print of Victoria Station was gone, replaced by a glorious colorful picture of the cliffs of Santorini in Greece. Where the old red couch had been there were now two big brown leather chairs. But one thing hadn’t changed, the familiar scent of chamomile tea filled the air.
Sitting behind his desk was Prof. Hennessey, he had just finished taking a sip from a heavy earthenware mug. He looked tired, worn out, and like he wished to be anywhere but this office. Soon enough the year would be over, and he could start traveling for the summer.
Indicating that she take a seat in one of the chairs, he began by saying, “Thank you for seeing me this afternoon Miss Lane.”
Lois felt bad for him, but he was the one who called the meeting. Without preamble she said, “Graduation is next week. Why wasn’t anything done about those plagiarizers? My story is out there under another person’s name. As I mentioned earlier, Linda did help me collect some important information, yes, but she had nothing to do with the actual writing of the article! Talmadge … he didn’t even resist her … all because I wouldn’t …” She bit back the flow of words. Now was not the time to get emotional or delve into her private life.
The professor’s face grew flush with embarrassment. His eyes blinked twice behind his glasses, and he spoke in a weary voice, “Miss Lane, I have to ask you to refrain from speaking about any former relationship with Mr. Talmadge. Of the many life lessons this painful experience has taught you, participating in a romantic liaison with a co-worker generally yields poor results for all involved. Now, were you ever able to produce more evidence besides some notes hastily scribbled during an interview with a source that this article was of your creation?”
Lois looked down and said, “No. No, I have not. My notes, outline and file on this story were kept in my desk at the newsroom office. When I came back from seeing my father, the drawer, with all my story notes was empty. Linda was the only one who knew what I was working on. She was the one who accompanied me when I spoke with some sources – but not all of them. The last thought on my mind when I left here to see my father in the hospital was not that my colleague and friend intended to steal my story.
“You encouraged all of us to work together as a team, which we did successfully for three and a half years. It’s infuriating that the laziness of one person mixed with the blind ambition of another could cause so much damage.” Lois said with a tiny shake of her head.
“The article was beautifully written. But it seems to me, Miss Lane, that your writing powers are best served in the investigative arena rather than sports.”
Angrily shaking her head, the words spilled out in a torrent. “No. Don’t try to make me feel better about what’s happened! I want to be a sportswriter. What about printing a retraction saying that Linda King didn’t write it? That the article was really mine from beginning to end?”
The professor sighed deeply. He felt for the young woman before him. In the years she had been on the college paper’s staff, she had grown from a shy teenager to a competent, even slightly aggressive reporter. He said with commendation in his voice, “Thanks to this story, a rotten crop of students will no longer pose a threat to the university’s reputation. Nor will they influence intelligent students anxious for financial gain to be drawn into such activity. Surely you understand that if the integrity of the article – much less its authorship – were called into question, we cannot possibly keep those students involved from returning next year?”
Lois’ eyebrows shot up and she snapped, “But that’s not fair! My former co-workers get the credit for exposing a cheating ring with an article I wrote, and you expect me to stay quiet about it?”
Hennessey gently rebuked her by saying. “Young woman, if this experience, as cruel as it was, has not taught a particularly singular lesson about the real world, nothing I fear shall.”
Refusing to be chastened by his admonition, she continued. “Oh, the lesson has been learned Professor. But my former colleagues still get away with this?”
Hennessey picked up the mug, took another sip of tea and said, “Don’t be so hasty to think that. I confronted them about publishing such an article without running it by me first. I asked Linda to present her notes and story outline which she did. But I have been around a long time, and I knew they were withholding information. I told them they could either resign or I would fire them for their irresponsible actions. They chose to resign rather than be fired. That alone was enough to raise my suspicions. Please allow me to give you some unsolicited advice, drop it. Do not pursue this any farther.”
“But Professor…”
He held up his hand to interrupt her before she could go any farther, “I said ‘Drop it.’ You may not realize it, but those two, as treacherous as they were, did you a favor. If you had come to me with this story, it never would have been published. We would have taken your evidence to the Dean of Students and given it to him. He could have then dealt with it, quietly. By publishing this without my approval, Paul and Linda have drawn the ire of not only the students involved and the teammates of those students, but also the parents, some of whom are powerful alumni and huge contributors to this school. You see, the administration doesn’t like it when you cost them donations. Linda has had her car vandalized several times and her dorm room invaded.”
“Paul Talmadge, as you know, is working with Professor Rickerts until the end of June. We both know what a disagreeable taskmaster he is. Paul may be getting a paid job out of this, but it’s a pittance compared to what the job normally pays. Plus, whatever materials he puts together for that book will be uncredited. The last few weeks on this campus have been more than a little problematic for both of them.”
Lois said nothing.
“Miss Lane, presenting a thin notebook with a few hurried lines from an interview with a source is scanty proof. None of the people who came forward about this cheater’s ring were interviewed by you alone. Linda was always with you. As I said before, we … that is the board of Deans, cannot place a blot on the article by putting its author’s identity into question. Do you want to present your meager evidence to the board? Because they will ask the same questions, and you will receive the same outcome based on your answers. Please allow me to reiterate, those two former colleagues did you a favor.”
Lois rubbed her chin and then glared at him. “You are asking me to ignore all my hard work, not take credit for exposing a corrupting influence to our institution and deny I wrote the story. In all my time here. It was the best article I ever wrote!”
“Yes. It was a fine article. Much better than anything you wrote about concerning athletics. There was truly a fire or strong emotions in the words I read. Perhaps consider changing your focus from sports to investigative journalism.”
The room’s occupants lapsed into silence, which stretched out until it became uncomfortable for both of them. Lois knew he was right. Without proof she would look foolish in front of the board. Nevertheless, she wasn’t happy with Professor Hennessey. It might take years for her to forgive him.
His words went along with her thoughts a few days ago. Investigating corruption of any kind was important and necessary. What the professor said was true, she felt more ‘connected’ to this story than anything she had written about in the four years of covering sporting events. She had in mind a couple of other cases around campus that needed looking into. The cheese on the so-called burgers they had been serving at the school cafeteria looked a little like plastic. Why were parents and student paying for the real thing and that’s not what they were eating.
In the meantime, she would take what lessons she could from this experience and apply them to any story or article she wrote in the future. Finally, she stood and in so doing shred the last vestiges of innocence regarding the working world and spoke. “All right, Professor Hennessey. I won’t make any waves…this time.” With those words Lois exited the office, and he was certain she would never enter it willingly again.
With a sigh of relief and deep regret he spoke to the empty air, “Thank you, Miss Lane.”
There was not the slightest doubt in his mind that she would be the best possible investigative reporter she could be, to make up for the loss of this one purloined article.
After a moment, he pulled open the top drawer of his desk, removed a battered, burgundy leather address book, and thumbed the well-worn pages until he reached the name and number he wanted. This contact would help Lois Lane become an even better journalist. He picked up the phone, dialed and listened as it rang on the other end. Quite expectedly, a familiar gruff voice with a very distinct southern accent was heard. “Perry? Hennessey here. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, but, yes, I have someone in mind for you. In fact she is in the top tier of my class. I want to recommend her as a new hire for the Daily Planet. No. No, not as a summer intern, but as a tyro reporter...”
