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developing an infrastructure that would allow for further growth at
a huge savings. He also discussed the meeting he would be having with the
Council of Churches later in the day.
    “Well,
I think it is a great idea to save money by putting in the infrastructure for
the additional pods. That is what you called them, right, pods?  I see your
numbers for the increased infrastructure. About how much do you think it will
cost you down the road to build the additional pods and when do you think you
will want to do that expansion?”
    “I
am thinking that the additional pods will go in after I raise the money, which
will take about four to five years. I think I will need another $1.5 million to
complete all of the work.”
    “Four
to five years, heck I might be dead by then,” Will chuckled. “The work you are
doing there is way too important to put this off. What say you if I give you a
check for $2 million today to cover the cost of the expanded infrastructure and
the additional pods?  Then you only need the Council of Churches to chip in the
$500K. I think they should be able to come up with it. I gave them a donation
for just this sort of thing about two months ago that would easily cover this
and the other projects they have in mind.”
    “Will,
this is fantastic,” Rob responded gratefully. “I’ll contact the project manager
immediately to change the permit to allow the completion of the entire project.
You are a godsend. Thank you.”
    “Anytime,”
said Will. “Anyhow, I’ve thought long and hard about this to myself already and
spoken with my accountant. We are only on this earth for a short time and we
need to do the best we can for others. Have a great day, Rob”
    “I
already have,” said Rob as he got in his car and headed back to the Center. He
made a quick stop by the bank to deposit the eye-popping check, still
recovering from the sudden surprise. While he was standing at the cashier
window, the astonished bank manager called Mr. Walters to verify the check and
the money was then duly deposited into Rob’s business account. With only $500K
left to raise, and the prospect of completing the entire project within his
grasp, he allowed himself a moment of congratulation, pushing the sadness of
his student’s death to one side for just a moment.
     
    At
St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Prince Frederick, Rob was welcomed into the
meeting room by the members of the Council of Churches, aware that Mr. Walter’s
money had partially funded the space. He had met with most of the council
one-on-one previously and they all understood the project, so he gave just a
brief outline and then told them about his successful meeting that morning, and
how the extra donation could be used to fund additional buildings. The council,
buoyed by Mr. Walter’s generosity, agreed to write a check for the remaining
$500K on the spot.
    At
the end of the meeting Rob approached Father Jones, the pastor of the church
where the meeting was held. “Hello, Father,” said Rob. “I have a question to
ask you that may seem strange. Have you seen an increase in illness in your
parish lately?”
    “It
is funny you should ask,” Father Jones replied. “There has been an increase in
hospitalizations and several deaths in the last two days. The deaths have all
been among the elderly, one was 85 and one was 91. Strange indeed. It’s not
even flu season. I’ve wondered about this myself, but I haven’t seen any
comment on it in the news. Have you had any problems at the Center?”
    “We
lost one of our students to a seizure last night. My assistant is watching
closely over our flock today, ready to call the paramedics at any sign of a
problem.”
    “I
know we have several of our parish families that have children at your Center,”
Father Jones said. “I believe you know them all personally. Please let me know
if there are any problems or if you need any church support. We will keep all
of the sick in our