Run Red Rover

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It was a dark night with not much light coming from the waning gibbous moon. Our friends have been assigned the ultimate covert mission; they will head to Vendoland and back without being spotted by a single non-abstract algebraist.

They have been planning for hours and have taken every precaution conceivable. They have dressed completely in dark clothes with dark trench coats. 2e and Po have been assigned the dangerous task as the spies and they have enlisted two lookouts, J and S.

The plan is flawless. J and S will go on ahead acting completely natural. When the coast is clear, they will yell back the code phrase, "Run Red Rover." P and 2 will then proceed ahead, careful to stay in shadows and dashing to safe spots as needed.

The time draws near and J and S leave the safety of Purgatory. They approach the steps as they have done numerous times before. When it is finally safe, they whisper back the code. 2 and P tiptoe to the top of the stairs and creep down. Only a couple more short movements and they escape the oppression of the densely populated building into the fresh air outside. Our friends take an early breath of the night air as it seems the hard part is over.

P and 2 hide in the shadows cast by the building while J and S move ahead. They walk carefully across the sidewalk and S ducks into the nearest bush leaving only J exposed to the non-algebraist who walk past. After only a moment J looks around and does not see a single person. At that same moment 2 hears a door close in the distance. She looks around and sees a single woman leave the science building. For now the woman is too far away to see them, so 2 relaxes thinking they are not in danger.

J looks around again and to the dread of 2 and P he signals the "all clear". He whispers across the distance, "run red rover." 2 looks at P, then they look at the woman who is approaching and realize they cannot leave. 2 tries to point to the impending danger but it is no use, J does not see her. He raises his voice to a stage whisper and again proclaims "Run Red Rover." 2 and P become even more nervous and again try to point out the stranger walking in their direction. Sensing that it is no use, they crouch even lower into the shadows.

Frustrated J makes a final attempt at signalling our friends in the shadows and he yells out "RUN RED ROVER" just as the young woman walks past him. Panicked J looks at the woman and then looks to the bushes, where S is still hidden, and says, "I guess I'm not a very good spy."

Fortunately only J is spotted and the mission is not compromised.