Monday started out as any other day when the Covers didn't have school. Mr. Ken woke up around 8:15, took care of his morning business, got dressed and then went out to get his morning newspaper.
Momma Maria was there that morning, so she had the man's coffee ready for him when he sat down at his regular seat at the Kitchen Nook's table. He smiled at the woman as she placed the hot cup of coffee in front of him. The man opened his paper, spread it out as he usually did and then began to read it.
One news article that caught his attention was a small piece that mentioned that three more lawsuits had been filed against the owner/operators of the Edgewood Amusement Park. The article went on to say those three new claims brought the total amount of money asked to compensate those injured parties to over fifteen million dollars. Mr. Ken just shook his head at that turn of events, and he wondered what the owners were thinking now, that the total had climbed once more.
The boys began to filter into the Nook between 8:30 and 9 a.m., Kevin being the last one to show. 'Dad' Ken noticed the time, but it was before 9 o'clock, as he had asked, so he didn't say anything.
Mr. Chris came into the Kitchen Nook as the boys were getting their breakfasts from Momma. He welcomed his employer back home, when he arrived for work. He then got his first cup of coffee and sat down to talk to his boss. He began to tell Mr. Ken about what transpired while the man was gone, but Mr. Ken asked him to wait until they were in his Study, later. Mr. Chris said he'd catch up with him in about an hour.
Billy took care of getting Chief her fresh water and kibble, before sitting down to a wonderful Momma Maria breakfast. All six boys loved that they now had a good breakfast to eat instead of what they had over the past ten days. They all thanked her when she placed their meals in front of them. Then, they gave her a special hug, when they thanked her again, before going up to get cleaned up for the day.
As the boys left the Nook, Charles told his dad that he and Matthew were going out to sail the Sunfish. The teen told his dad he wanted Matthew to see the slight differences there were with his dad's sailboat than what they learned on, and what their dad bought them.
'Dad' Ken was glad Matthew was going to go out and try sailing again, right after having the scare he had just yesterday. He knew that was a good step to take to not letting the experience rule the way you act in the future.
As the boys walked up the stairs to get their showers, Billy asked Robert if he wanted to take the new WaveRunners and try them out and see what they could do. Robert smiled at the suggestion and the two Cover teens headed back down to change into their wetsuits.
Mr. Ken was still reading his morning newspaper when he heard the sound of the personal watercraft. He got up from his seat and looked out the Kitchen Nook picture window to see who was riding them. He smiled when he saw Billy and his son, Robert, on the two new machines.
Kevin and Kyle found their 'brothers' were all gone, when they came down from taking their showers. It was after ten o'clock, and Kevin asked his 'dad' what they should do if Billy and Matthew weren't back and their team was responsible for doing the barbeque today.
'Dad' Ken thought about that question for a moment, or two, and then told Kyle to lead Bill's and Matthew's team to get the dispensers filled and whatever else needed to be done first, and he'd have them take over when they came in off the lake. He told the younger twin to explain to Bill's and Matthew's friends why he was there, but that they would be there when it was time to cook.
Mr. Ken decided he'd read the newspaper long enough, and he'd better get ready for the day as Chris needed to talk to him about something. When he was all showered and ready, he called Chris to come to his Study.
Mr. Chris came into the Study with a big smile on his face. Mr. Ken noticed and smiled back and asked his Estate Manager what happened, that he was being so jovial.
Mr. Chris sat down and told his employer about the lifeguards. He told Mr. Ken that the five guards came in for four hours each on four days to practice using the paddle board and paddle boat. He said they also used the mannequins, on and off the water toys, and practiced 'saving' the injured person.
Mr. Chris said he was impressed with how they worked together as a team. The man said they even blew their whistles and even the air horns to simulate having the boys stop what they were doing and head to the beach.
The Estate Manager said Russell made their training very realistic. Mr. Chris said the senior guard had them jump in off the floating lifeguard stand, throw the life rings out to each other and use the paddle board and then the backboard to practice stabilizing the patient.
Mr. Chris then put on a big smile, and told his employer he had some big news.
"Boss, someone called Rene Vaughn ... and ... and they told her about what our lifeguards doing something out in the cove. So ... well, she came by and asked what was going on. She told me they had a news crew out on the lake taping what the guards were doing, and asked if she could come in and talk to them.
"Well, I hope you don't mind but ... well, I gave her access to the cove and the guards. I went with her to clarify anything Russell didn't know. Mr. Ken ... Rene did an awesome 'Viewers Want to Know' segment that played on the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.
"I taped it, but it was posted on YouTube the next day, it was so good. If you want, you can watch it under the title, Lifeguards Practicing, Just In Case," explained Chris Dominions.
Mr. Ken was a bit dismayed that Chris had allowed the news people to video the lifeguards, but he had to call up the video to watch it, so he knew what to expect if he got any questions.
Mr. Ken watched as the news program showed one of his lifeguards blowing their whistle then jumping in off the floating platform with their rescue tube to 'save' the mannequin. The video continued and showed one other guard coming to help the initial guard to determine what was wrong.
The next thing Mr. Ken saw and heard was the guard in the paddle boat blow the air horn and yell for everyone to get to the beach, as they had an emergency. The four guards then used the paddle board as their backboard for the mannequin, as they swam it close to the beach. That was where they transferred the 'patient' to the regular backboard and used the head immobilization device before carrying the 'patient' onto the beach.
Rene then interviewed Russell. She asked him why they were out there when there were no swimmers. Russell told her point blank that they were hired to protect the boys and girls who swim in Mr. Thomas' cove, and today they were practicing their emergency procedures.
Russell continued and told Rene Vaughn that while Mr. Thomas and his family were away, they were using that time to hone their skills in case they were ever needed. The video then showed the lifeguards practicing other lifesaving skills while Rene commented.
Mr. Ken was happy with what Ms. Vaughn had to say about the lifeguards. He was even more pleased when she said that he, Mr. Thomas, was taking the protection of the people who swim in his cove very seriously. The news reporter said that any parent who allows their child to swim there should be relieved that their host has hired five well trained lifeguards, to watch over their child.
Rene finished up her report by asking, "How many people do you know who would take swimmers safety as seriously as Mr. Thomas has? ... Mr. Thomas has always put the safety of his sons and foster sons above anything else. This is just one more example of his determination to put safety first when it comes to his 'boys' and their friends."
Mr. Ken, breathed hard when the video was over. He looked at Chris and didn't say anything. Mr. Chris was concerned he overstepped his authority, but he still felt he did the right thing as they could have made the video, from outside the cove, without their involvement.
"Chris ... this was a great report on what the guards do here. It showed them taking their jobs very seriously and practicing to hone their skills. To be honest with you ... I wasn't all that thrilled that you had done this. But now that I've seen the end result ... I have to say that you knew what you were doing. This put a positive spin on The Cove. Thank you!" finished the Estate Manager's employer.
Mr. Chris thanked the man for saying that. He also told him he was concerned for his job, after his first reaction to his allowing Rene in to interview the lifeguards.
Mr. Chris also thanked Mr. Ken for suggesting he bring his family over to use the Skate Park and have a picnic. The Estate Manager told his boss how much his kids loved the Cove Skate Park and they got to use it without a lot of bigger kids there getting in their way.
The men got down to talking about the upcoming 4th of July Picnic and what Chris had prepared already and what needed to be finalized. The big issue was how much space the Cove Skate Park took up and how the amusements operator would set up, and where the church groups would be allowed to place their booths.
The men talked about the Picnic a little longer. They then got to talking about the trip Mr. Ken just came off of. The owner of The Cove told Mr. Chris what he and Wayne had done at Edgewood. Chris was surprised that Mr. Ken was still interested in buying that amusement park and what lengths he had gone to in order to learn how desperate the owners might be to sell.
Charles and Matthew came back from sailing around noon time, took their showers and went out to be with their friends. Even Billy's friends had to do without him until he came back from riding the WaveRunner with Robert.
When the six Covers were together, they talked about what happened when the person responsible for the barbeque wasn't there, like that day when Bill was out on the WaveRunner and Matthew was out sailing. They talked and figured that they better come up with a plan, otherwise their 'dad' would find one for them.
Billy apologized for him and Matthew not being there when their friends arrived, so he thanked Kyle for handling the barbeque set up tasks and said he'd do that for him one day when he returned. Kyle said he had better because that was what their 'dad' said he would have to do.
Billy knew he would have to own up to that when they talked later in the Study. He knew that their coming up with a plan to handle that, was a smart thing for them all to do.
Just before they ate their burned burgers and dogs, Billy called everyone together. He revealed the new safety measures Mr. Ken had installed for that year. He told them that the lifeguards had a job to do and they would also be using a paddle boat and board, along with the floating platform with the lifeguard stand and the beach lifeguard stand, and they were not to use them for any reason.
Robert jumped in and told the boys that his dad told them that everyone better listen to the guards, or else. The teen left that 'or else' hanging out there for the boys to think about.
As the boys ate, some asked when they would begin swimming out in the cove. Robert told them they could swim anytime they felt like it. He told them that the lifeguards were there for their safety and, if they began swimming out there, they would be on the guard stands and paddle boat and board to watch over them.
A few of the boys said they might want to try swimming in the cove tomorrow, when they arrived. They wanted to try the new Rock It water toy, and maybe try playing King of the Raft, again. The rest of the boys said they'd wait and see how the first ones fared before they joined them.
After the boys finished their lunch, some either swam or skated some more. But before they knew it six o'clock came and it was time for them to go home. The Covers walked their friends to the Main Gate and after they'd all left for the day, the Covers headed down to the house for a wonderful Momma Maria dinner.
When dinner was over, the Covers headed to the Study to talk about their day, and what was coming up that they all needed to know about. Mr. Ken told his 'boys' about the initial plans for the 4th's Picnic. He then told them about the video Rene Vaughn did on their lifeguards. He told them the title of the YouTube video, so they could check it out when they went up to their rooms.
The next item he talked to them about was that he and Bill would be leaving tomorrow morning, and would not return until Thursday evening, late. He reminded them Mr. Wayne would be there while he was gone and would be in charge. He again asked them to get together and talk about the 4th's Picnic in regards to the Cove Skate Park and the other kids trying it out.
When the boys settled down after that, 'dad' Ken mentioned that Bill and Matthew weren't where they were supposed to be when their friends arrived. He said they were still in the early throngs of getting into a routine with the Cover Teams taking care of the daily barbeque, but that they'd better come up with a way to ensure they didn't forget, as they had today, and if they planned something else they had better coordinate with one of their 'brothers'.
That was all the boys' 'dad' said to them about missing doing the first step of the daily set up for the barbeque. The younger boys thought he would have said more, but Robert knew that his dad didn't get angry, but made subtle hints at what he expected to be done.
After their meeting in the Study, all the boys headed up to their rooms to watch the video their 'dad' told them about. After they watched it, they talked about it amongst themselves and how neat it was to watch how the lifeguards would protect them.
When 'dad' Ken came upstairs to say goodnight to the boys, they all talked to him about the video. Matthew lamented the fact that he was going again, but he wasn't as bad off as he previously had been.
Mr. Ken's final stop was at Bill's room, where he found the teenager packing some final things for his trip. They talked about when they would leave and what was planned for that first evening. Before he left the room, he told Bill to come downstairs dressed and ready to leave because Derrick would be there about 8:30 to take them to the airport.
Billy was up bright and early that Tuesday morning. He used the porcelain god, brushed his teeth and then took his shower. He had laid out the clothes he was going to wear, so when he came back into his bedroom all he had to do was put on some underwear and then get dressed.
The teenager met his foster dad in the Kitchen Nook about 8 o'clock. That gave him enough time to take care of Chief and eat a Momma breakfast, before the limo driver arrived to take him and Mr. Ken to the airport and the first leg of his 3-day trip. Billy was pumped for his trip.
Mr. Wayne arrived about 8:15, got some last-minute instructions from his employer, then sat down to a Momma breakfast. By then Billy had rinsed his dishes and used the restroom while he waited for Derrick to arrive.
Before they got into the limousine, Mr. Ken told Wayne that he'd try to call the boys later tonight, but depending on how late the ball game went, he might not get the chance. The Covers were then off to Austin-Bergstrom airport.
When the rest of the Cover boys came down for breakfast, at about 9 a.m., they were all disappointed they'd missed saying goodbye to their 'dad'. Mr. Wayne told them that their 'dad' would try to call them later tonight, if the ball game didn't go too late.
The traveling Covers arrived at the Dallas business airport in the Dallas-Fort Worth area around 11:45. By the time they offloaded from the business jet, transferred to their transportation to the hotel and arrived there, it was almost 1 p.m.
Mr. Ken registered himself and Billy and they went to their room that faced west. As soon as the Cover teen got to the room, he looked out the window and was surprised to see that the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park was right across the street from their hotel.
"Mr. Ken, did you plan to get this room, or did they give it to you by chance?" asked the curious teenager.
"No, when I knew this was where you wanted to go, I knew to get this side of the hotel so you could look out and see where we'll be tomorrow. If you look far enough past the amusement park, you might see the top of Ranger's Stadium. That's where we'll be tonight for the game.
"Now ... you have some choices to make. After lunch, we can use the pool and get to the stadium about an hour before game time. Or, we can use the pool, but plan to get to the ballpark in time for the Ranger's batting practice.
"If we do the second option, we can only be in the pool until about four-thirty. We'll then have to come in, get dried off, dressed and down stairs for the limo to take us over to the stadium in time for batting practice.
"If we do the first option, you'll get to see the Rockies batting practice, but not both as you would with option two. Your choice, but I need to tell the limo driver, after we eat, what time to pick us up," advised Mr. Ken.
Billy chose option number two, so he could watch both ball teams take batting practice. The two Covers then went down to the lobby, and walked outside to the waiting limo, which would take them to lunch.
The hotel was the same one Mr. Ken used when he took Charles on his 3-day trip. The two Covers played in the water some, before Mr. Ken wanted to lie out in the sun to get some color. Billy swam and talked to other guests using that hotel.
The Covers arrived at Ranger's Stadium in time to watch both ball teams take batting practice. But first, Mr. Ken took them to their seats, so Billy knew where they were, in case the teenager decided he wanted to go exploring on his own, later.
Mr. Ken took Billy over to the third base side and opposite the outfield so the teen would have the chance to get an errant foul ball, or maybe have one of the outfield ball players throw him one. Billy got two baseballs that way.
Between batting practices, the Rangers had a bevy of girls go out with a t-shirt cannon and shot the shirts up into the stands. Billy was able to snag one of them, as well. The teenager, who'd never been outside his own home area, until he went with Mr. Ken to visit his amusement parks, was now on his second trip and was loving it immensely.
When it was game time, The Covers went up to their seats, which were located up on the upper deck on the first base side. The sun would be at their backs that way. Bill asked Mr. Ken why they were up so high and maybe not on the first level even with the playing field.
Mr. Ken told him that from up there they could look down through the plays, whereas, if they were looking through the plays from the first level, they might miss something. The man asked Billy to wait and see how well they could watch the game, from where they were.
As the ball game went on, Billy did notice as he looked down on any play, he could watch the ball easier and track how the players made their plays. The teen also got into the game as it was a close one, with the score tied 2–2 going into the bottom of the 6th inning.
That was when the Rangers' took advantage of some Rockies errors and scored twice more, to make the score 2–4. The Ranger's never relinquished their lead for the rest of the game.
Billy loved his first ever, in person, major league baseball game. He had three souvenirs from the game that he knew he would cherish for quite some time. He was hungry, now that the game was over, even though he had a footlong hotdog, soda, and nachos during the game.
When they were inside their limo, Mr. Ken told the driver to take them to the Cracker Barrel restaurant for something to eat. While they were eating, Mr. Ken and Billy talked about the game. Mr. Ken smiled at the enthusiasm the teenager exhibited, as he told what he liked about the whole aspect of going to the game, batting practice and then the game itself.
Back at the hotel, with their getting up early for the trip, their airplane ride and their long day, the Covers could feel it catching up to them. The two talked some more, but before long Billy couldn't keep his eyes open, so he went to bed.
Mr. Ken was up early enough to get ready for the day, without disturbing the still sleeping teen. The man then went down to the lobby for a cup of coffee and a sweet roll and to read the national newspaper the hotel had for its guests.
Billy woke up about nine o'clock and he didn't see his foster dad in his bed. He noticed the time and figured the man was downstairs drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. Billy decided to take care of his morning business, get a shower and then dress for his day at Six Flags.
Mr. Ken came up to their room to find the teenager dressed and ready to go. Mr. Ken asked him if he slept well, and if he was ready to hit the amusement park. The teen said he'd like to get something to eat, but Mr. Ken said he should have gotten up sooner, as the morning buffet was taken down at 9 a.m. on weekdays.
But Mr. Ken had a fix for that. He told Billy to follow him down to the lobby. There the limo was waiting outside for them, and once inside the vehicle, Mr. Ken told the driver to take them to Micky-D's, so Billy could get some breakfast.
The Covers arrived at the amusement park in time to watch the park raise the American flag on their flagpole, and listen to the National Anthem. Once that was over, the park gates were opened and the throngs of people began to enter Six Flags Over Texas.
Once inside the park, Mr. Ken walked over to where he could buy a Platinum Flash Pass. Billy asked him if that was similar to his Fastest Pass, and, learning it was, Billy smiled that they wouldn't have to wait very long to ride the better rides.
Mr. Ken let Billy choose where he wanted to go first. He was old enough and had ridden enough amusement rides on their previous trip that the man didn't figure he'd be as skittish as Charles was when they visited the park last summer.
Billy headed to the bigger roller coasters first. He couldn't wait to ride them. He could see them rise above the other rides and knew they would be much better than what he'd ridden at any of the five amusement parks they just visited.
The first roller coaster Billy chose to ride was the Titan. He saw the coaster was huge compared to the ones he rode on his recent trip, and he thought he was prepared for it.
As the Cover teen rode it, he came face-to-face with its mind-blowing 255-foot-drop that then took him through a tunnel, out over a camel hump that gave him some air time. After that came, not one, but two mind-warping 540-degree spirals followed by some crazy banked turns before arriving back at the station.
"Mr. Ken ... that coaster was more than I ever expected; that's for sure. I don't think the people would be ready for you to put something like that in your parks. At least not yet. Maybe we'll find something here that you could consider putting in them. What do you think?" finished Billy.
"Bill ... you're right about the Titan. It is way too big for my parks. And, yes, maybe I'll see something that I'd like to install in my parks, while I am here. But that is not why I came here. This trip is all about you, Bill. So ... what say we find some more rides to get on," replied foster dad Ken.
Since Mr. Ken had been to that Six Flags Park before, he knew what rides Billy probably would like so he took the teen to them. They rode Batwing, Spin Sanity and The Conquistador, which was a Spanish galleon ship that rocked back and forth
After that, they headed to a roller coaster called Pandemonium. On that ride, as their coaster car followed the hills and valleys of the track, the car spun on its own axis. Billy told Mr. Ken the ride was somewhat similar to the Crazy Mouse rides they rode on their trip.
Mr. Ken told Billy that since he liked roller coasters, he wanted to take him to a ride that wasn't too far from there. Billy was brought to the Runaway Mine Train. This was a small coaster that didn't have a really big hill like the other one he rode. What it did was, it depicted a trip back into the old west on runaway mine cars.
After the ride was over, Billy said he liked it, but then, again, he didn't. He said it was simple and he liked the theming. But what he didn't like was that it wasn't very fast and was more of a family ride than something a teenager would want to ride.
After riding the coasters, Mr. Ken told Billy they needed to ride some of the flat rides, as well. That said, Mr. Ken led the teen over to Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. Billy liked that this ride took them through a Metropolis cityscape where they helped Superman and Batman rescue the other members of the Justice League from Lex Luthor and the Joker.
After that came El Sombrero, a lifting, tilting sombrero that also spins, then the El Aserradero, a log flume ride. Mr. Ken then took Billy over to Judge Roy Scream, an out and back wooden coaster with the first hill being only about 70 feet high. Billy liked that coaster because, even though it wasn't very high, it felt fast, and it gave him air time on some of the hills.
Right next to Judge Roy Scream was the Texas SkyScreamer. It was a ride Mr. Ken wanted Billy to ride as it was the highest swing ride Six Flags had ever built, at 400 feet high, and it went around at the top at about 35 miles per hour.
Billy saw how high it was and sort of hesitated to get in line. But when Mr. Ken told him Charles rode it, the teen decided he'd better, or he'd never hear the end of it. When the ride was over, Billy told his foster dad that it looked worse than it was, and he enjoyed being up that high and could see forever.
Another ride Mr. Ken wanted to take Billy on was the Roaring Rapids. Billy wasn't so sure he wanted to get wet, but Mr. Ken told him he'd dry. After the high-powered hose, multiple sets of rapids, a waterfall and a final water cannon, Billy was definitely wet.
"You did that on purpose," laughed Billy,
"Who, me?" laughed Mr. Ken. "Relax. You didn't melt," said Mr. Ken, as he led the teenager to their next ride.
The Covers walked to a nearby section of the park where they rode Batman and Mr. Freeze, both roller coasters. As they walked over towards the Texas Giant, they stopped to ride the Rodeo and the Catwoman Whip.
As they walked, Mr. Ken told Billy about Yosemite Sam's Gold River Adventure ride. Billy was a bit skeptical about going on this boat ride, but Mr. Ken said it was cool inside, and would give them a chance to rest their feet.
Billy agreed to ride the simple ride to placate his foster dad. The Cover teen saw that the boat meandered through a rough-and-ready mineshaft and told the story of Yosemite Sam who robbed a bank and had stolen all the gold.
After the 7 minutes ride was over, Billy told Mr. Ken that he enjoyed the narration, by Wile E. Coyote, and how Sheriff Bugs Bunny caught up with Yosemite Sam. He also said the best part was it was cool inside and his feet felt rested. The two laughed.
When they came up to the Texas Giant, Billy saw the coaster track was different than anything he'd ever seen. Mr. Ken told him it was like an I-beam, but worked the same way. They used their Flash Pass to get onto the ride without having to wait a long time.
When it was their turn, as the coaster train got to the top of the hill and as they went over the top Billy could feel the train slow until the whole group of cars were fully over the top and then he felt the whole coaster race down the hill.
Billy sort of lost his breath for a second and then he found they were racing up a hill and then down again before going on a 90-degree turn taking them back towards where they came. The train continued to go through the typical ups and downs of a wooden coaster, as it sped along its track. They went through three tunnels before coming to the end of their ride. Billy loved it and told his foster dad he hoped he would build something like that for his parks someday.
The next coaster Mr. Ken took Billy on was the Runaway Mountain. This was an indoor coaster that as you loaded into the car it faced forward into what looked like a black hole. When the operator released the brakes, the train cars moved forward to the dark abyss, and then the cars went up a steep incline.
At the top of the incline, the two-car train started through a series of steep turns and drops. The riders couldn't see where they were going, but they were both laughing at the sudden turns and drops they could never see. That was another coaster Billy told his foster dad he hoped he would build at his amusement parks.
Throughout the day the Covers did occasionally stop for a soda and soft pretzel, but now that it was time to leave for the day, they had to decide where they wanted to go for dinner. Billy wanted to change clothes as he still felt wet and sticky and didn't want to be in a restaurant feeling or looking the way he did.
Mr. Ken asked him if pizza sounded good for dinner, or maybe a sub sandwich. Upon hearing those options for dinner, Billy opted for the pizza and a soda. There was a nearby pizza parlor, so Mr. Ken had the driver stop there, so they could order a large pizza.
The Covers took their pizza and sodas back to their hotel room and that was where they ate. Mr. Ken asked Billy to tell him what he thought about Six Flags and would he want to do something like that again.
Billy told his foster dad that there were a number of roller coasters there that he hoped the man would put into his amusement parks. The teen told Mr. Ken his parks needed something that intense to entice people from further away to come and visit them.
Mr. Ken then took time to call home and talk to Mr. Wayne and all of his 'boys'. Mr. Ken wanted Mr. Wayne to brief him on what happened at The Cove while he'd been gone, but all the Estate Master had to tell him was that everything was 'quiet on the home front'.
Mr. Ken then called his other five 'boys' and talked to them for about seven minutes each, as it was getting late, and he and Billy had to get up early in the morning. He did apologize to them for not calling the previous night, but he explained he and Bill returned from the game too late and he didn't want to wake them.
Before going to bed, Mr. Ken gave Billy some more options for tomorrow they could do before they flew back home. He told the teen they would try to do two of the three options he was going to give him. The foster dad asked Billy to choose two from the Dallas World Aquarium, the Museum of American Railroad and Speed Zone. The man asked the teen to sleep on it, and tell him in the morning.
They both used the bathroom before getting into bed. They slept well that night, as they were worn out from all the walking they'd done that day.
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