Five Hertz Of Separation (Chapters 6 Through 10) free porn video

CHAPTER SIX "I am sorry, Alex, I just do not understand how this 'anarchist paradise' of yours would work in the real world." "It's simple, Johnathyn. There would be no organized government of any kind. People would be free to go about their daily lives with complete autonomy. Every man would be free to do what is best for him, to live by his own rules." "And what about women?" "Unlike your world, it would be the same for women. The same freedoms, across the board." We were driving through a surprisingly beautiful landscape, along a ridge overlooking a river valley. It had snowed lightly last night, making everything look like a classic black and white photo with the slightest hint of blue. Johnathyn had said it might snow. I'll be damned if I knew how he did it but he was right. The sun was bright, taking the chill out of the air. The solar charger was sucking in the photons, refreshing the laptop's battery. I had given into Lee's begging, letting her watch a Disney DVD last night. I like the Pixar movies. So what? Sue me. We all huddled under the blankets and ate parched corn while watching the show. Popcorn is a way better snack. It seems like Johnathyn is letting me deal with Lee more as she gets used to my presence. At first, she treated me more as a girlfriend but, lately, I've become more of an authority figure. With her father's permission, of course. I'm not going to step on Johnathyn's toes, not as big as he is. Though, he seems to be more of the 'gentle giant' type. Probably because he's had to be both mother and father to Lee since she was born. Playing that kind of maternal role likely has an effect on how a guy goes through life and reacts toward people. I've found he's also got a lot of common sense. We've talked quite a bit in the last three weeks, about all kinds of stuff. I've learned a lot about his world and he's learned a lot about mine. Today's discussion is about my politics, a favorite of mine. "So, you say that women would have the same rights and duties as a man." "Exactly the same." "And there would be no government to interfere." "That's right." "So who protects the woman's rights?" "Who says anybody needs to? She can protect her own." "Alexia, if my world is proof of anything, it is that women cannot protect their own rights." He always calls me Alexia when he wants to make a point. "Are you saying women are inferior, that they can't protect themselves?" "No. I would assume from what you have told me that even though many women in my world have power not available to women in your world, they are treated quite badly, not as well as your women are. The difference seems to be that your government supports them and mine does not." "But there doesn't need to be ANY government. That's my point!" Lee worms her way between us as we sit on the driver's bench. "Are you two fighting again?" Johnathyn glances over at me. He wants me to take this one. Fine. "We aren't fighting, Lee. It's just a discussion. Adults discuss things all the time." "It's a very loud 'discussion.'" "He's not being loud, I am. I'm just very passionate about my beliefs." She giggles. "What's so funny?" "You said 'passionate'. I know what that means. I read about it in your dictionary." Maybe giving her unlimited access to that program wasn't such a good idea after all. "Passionate can apply to a lot of things, not just men and women." She smiles at me, like she knows something I don't. "If you say so. Can I use the computer?" "No, it hasn't finished charging yet." "Why not?" "Because we watched your movie last night." "You watched too." "You asked to watch. Your father and I would have been perfectly happy to do something else." She smiles again. "Like what?" I ignore that comment. "I gave you a choice last night. If you watched the movie, it would have to come out of your time today." "But I'm BORED!" "You should have thought about that last night. You've only had access to a computer for, what, three weeks? Do what you did before then." "I was bored back then, too." "Then play with dolls or something, whatever girls do." "I'm too old for dolls!" "Then read a book." She pulls back from between us with a disgusted "Humph" and goes to sit in the back of the wagon. I shake my head. Johnathyn nudges me with his shoulder. "You did that quite well, Alexia." "I've had experience. My brother was always expecting me to entertain him, especially when we were younger. I've heard that 'I'm BORED' complaint a lot." "Well, for whatever reason, I think you handled the situation quite well." "Thanks. Sorry about yelling back there. I didn't mean to upset her." "Do not worry about it. Leeanna understands. It is just that no child likes to hear her parents arguing." What?! Parents?! * * * *** * * * *** * * * We continue along this road for several miles. We are heading for Shellcrest, a small to medium sized town for this world. We've stopped at a couple of really small towns along the way so that Johnathyn could do some blacksmith work. It helps with our cover and gives us a chance to resupply a little bit. Johnathyn is very skilled. He can fix farm tools like plows, shovels, hoes and such but also household tools, more delicate items. He even did some gunsmithing, fixed three different rifles, the old, single shot, black powder kind. I haven't shown him my Glock yet. Don't know how he would react to it and I wouldn't want him to think I was threatening him in any way. Big guy, remember? Whenever we'd roll into a town, people would flock around like he was the Good Humor Man with ice cream for sale. He'd set up shop at the nearest stable and get to work. I liked watching him. The man is an artist. Unfortunately, the local men didn't like a woman, even his "wife" hanging around so Leeanna and I had to spend our time with the women and girls. Thank Zaphod, this world's version of God, Lee loved to talk. I just let her answer the questions and killed time. This world does have money, mostly metal coins, but it seems to work more on the barter system. That's how we resupplied. I also picked up some more clothes that fit me a little better than Johnathyn's dead wife's' did. Her name was Leeantha. Not hard to figure out where Leeanna got her name. I think Johnathyn was happy to see me get a new wardrobe. I caught him looking at me kinda funny a few times dressed in his wife's stuff. Which were mostly summer clothes. The other women were aghast at how little I had with me and that they were out of season. I explained that all my own stuff had been lost in transit, a fire. The new, actually well used stuff, was heavier and warmer and I was glad to get it, particularly if I couldn't wear pants. It's surprising how warm a petticoat is. Another thing we faced were several offers from the locals to keep Leeanna in their home for the night. Once the women discovered we were "newlyweds", the offers poured in to keep Leeanna overnight so that I could have some alone time with my big, handsome, hunk of a husband. I guess he is good looking, in that rugged, outdoors kind of way, and Zaphod knows he's in great shape. He pounds iron and carries anvils for a living, for Christ's sake! I've seen the man without his shirt on. The muscles have muscles. I managed to fend off the women's offers. Apparently Johnathyn had to do the same with the men. Seems I'm quite the hotty too. I told him we were the Brad and Angelina of his world. He didn't get that one either. Shellcrest is a different place. A mining town. Even I know that mining towns in the old days of earth were not safe places. Johnathyn says it's the same story here. We're following the road on the ridge of the river valley when it makes a bend to the right. As we make the bend, an ugly scar on the picturesque landscape comes into view. Down in the valley, a large portion of one side of the valley has been gouged from the earth. There's a long fence around the area. It looks like an open pit mine of some kind. The road we're on winds its way down to the site, crossing a bridge and then works its way around the perimeter, climbing to the other side of the valley, where a town sits on the edge. "Shellcrest" Johnathyn says, spitting the word out with venom. "What's that?" I ask, pointing to the gouge. "That is the mine that supports the town." I point to a structure on the opposite ridge, near the town. "And what is that?" He squints his eyes, trying to get a better look at it. "I am not certain." "I am. That, my dear husband, is a solar array, likely a hundred thousand kilowatts. There is tech here." * * * *** * * * *** * * * I have Johnathyn drive the wagon slowly along the perimeter road of the mine. I'm searching for wi-fi signals but am having no luck. The antenna in the laptop isn't the most sensitive. I keep getting little nibbles but no more. It could just be background radiation. More disturbing than my failure to get a good wi-fi signal is what I can see on the other side of the fence. Women and children, digging in the ground with the most basic of tools, moving dirt and rock with wheel barrows. Hundreds of them. As we drive by and watch them, they watch us. Not openly, because the MEN in charge are watching them closely but they know we're here. From the furtive looks we're getting, I'd bet every one of those women and children would like to be on this wagon, riding away from this ugly place. I climb back up onto the driver's seat next to Johnathyn. "No luck," I whisper. "Why are all those women and kids in there?" "Debt labor would be my guess." "What the hell is that?" "Their families fell on hard times, couldn't pay their bills and now they are there to try to work until the debt is paid. But they never will." "You mean if the parents can't pay the bills, the kids have to work it off?" "Or if the husband can't, so must the wife ..." He glances back at Lee, who is intently watching the children working behind the fence. He continues in a quieter voice, "... if she can't find 'other' work." I also glance back at Lee to make sure she's not paying attention to us. "You mean ... selling herself?" Johnathyn subtly nods his head, barely concealed anger on his face. "Should she be seeing this?" I ask. "It is a part of our world. Another part of our shame. She must know it if we are to rid ourselves of it and banish it forever." * * * *** * * * *** * * * We pull into town before sunset but the party has already started. If it ever stops in the first place. Lee is sitting between us on the driver's bench, my arm around her waist. I'm not letting go until we have left this place. The Glock is in my "new" handbag, a gift from one of the ladies at our last stop, which is in my lap. Along the main street of the town, there's noise and crowds around what I'm assuming are bars. If Lee wasn't here, I'd be interested in checking them out but I'm not leaving her alone for a second. "Tell me again why you thought this was a good idea, Johnathyn." "It was not my idea. I was given a general route to follow to get you to Glory. It was my discretion but I was required to make certain stops. This is one of them. The first, actually." "Great. Check points. If the others are anything like this, it'll be the last. What are we supposed to do?" "Get a room at the 'Black Horse Inn' and wait for further instructions." "Don't ya' just love a mystery." When we arrive at the inn, there's already a room ready for us. The "Black Horse Inn" appears to be one of the better ones we saw as we drove through town. It has a bar, of sorts and serves food. They have some burly guys at the door and in the bar so security is tight, for this world. I actually see one of the men with a single shot pistol in his belt. Probably the head of security. I think we are a little underdressed for the crowd but I don't care. It is the best of a bunch of bad choices. There's a hot bath waiting in the room when we arrive. Lee goes first, I'm second while Johnathyn waits outside and he's third while Lee and I hang around what passes for a lobby. Unfortunately, Lee had used some of her bath oils and Johnathyn came out smelling a bit fruity. It doesn't matter. The bar is so full of smoke you couldn't have smelled a banana boat. Apparently, the custom is that men eat in the bar and the women folk eat in their rooms. Johnathyn begins to explain it to me but one look tells him that I'm not putting up with it. We catch a lot of stares but we're served quickly, guess management doesn't want to allow the disturbance to social order continue for too long. The meal is actually very good. We had been eating a lot of preserved food while on the road and this was fresh. Mostly fresh. When we get back to the room, there is a note that had been slid under the door. Johnathyn picks it up and reads it. "What's it say?" I ask. "My contact is at the 'Blue Rooster'. I must go now." "Nice place, the 'Blue Rooster'?" "I have no knowledge." "Girls?" "Again. No knowledge." "Hang on, I'll be right with you." "It says that I am to come alone." "Like hell." "Alexia ... please. I did not raise the point at the meal but you really must try to blend in if we are to safely travel to Glory. I am one man and can do only so much to protect you. I will be back as quickly as possible. I promise ... no matter how pretty the girls are." "Father!" Lee shouts. I grin and shake my head. "Bring back one for me." "Mother!" Lee shouts again, then claps her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. "I'm sorry," she mumbles from behind her hands. Quickly I sit down on the bed and pull her over to me, holding her close and stroking her hair. "It's alright, I understand. It's okay. I ... I love you too, Leeanna." She grabs me by the waist, laying her head on my breast, closing her eyes. I look up at Johnathyn. "We'll be here when you get back. Hurry." He nods his head, grabs his cloak, opens the door, looks me in the eye and taps the lock with his index finger. I nod in response and he's gone, closing the door behind him. I reach down and tip Lee's head up. She opens her eyes. I smile down at her. "How about a movie? We'll use headphones so no one else will hear. What we don't see before your father gets back, we'll watch in the wagon tomorrow. How about that?" "Thank you." * * * *** * * * *** * * * We finished one movie and were well into the second before I finally face the truth. I'm going to have to find Johnathyn. It's been way too long. Neither of us was actually watching by now. "Leeanna ..." She clutches at me. "Don't go! Don't leave me!" I hug her. "I know. You're frightened. So am I but I have to go find your father. He's likely fine but I need to find him." She starts to cry. "He's dead. I know he's dead." "Don't say that!" "Then why hasn't he come back?" "I don't know, but I'm going to find out." "If you go out there, you'll die and then I'll die." Awww Jesus H. Christ. I've got to go find Johnathyn but I can't leave her alone and I can't take her with me. This place is as safe as any in this town, she just doesn't believe it. Maybe I can make here feel safer. "Stay right here, Lee." I go over to my hand bag and remove a small key. I've been locking the backpack pouch that holds the Glock with a small padlock since Lee began helping herself to the laptop. Unlocking the padlock, I remove the Glock, keeping Lee to my back so she can't see what I'm doing. I pop the magazine out and empty the chamber, putting all the ammo back in the pouch and locking it again. "Leeanna," I say, turning to face her, "there's no choice here. I have to go find your father." She's already starting to cry again. "Please Leeanna, listen to me. This is a very safe place. They have guards all over the first floor and we are on the second floor. But, just to be extra safe, I'm giving you some protection." I lay the Glock on the bed next to her. "This is my gun. It's from my world. It is much more powerful than any gun from your world. It can fire eighteen times without reloading." "Eighteen?!" "Yes. You just aim and pull the two triggers." I carefully hand it to her and place my hands over hers. "You just sight down the barrel ..." "Father has shown me how to shoot." "Good, then you know the rules. Don't aim at something unless you intend to shoot it and don't have your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot. You won't need this. No one is going to bother you. I'm just walking down the street, find out what is going on and come right back." I release my grip on Lee's hands. I can't hug her though I desperately want to, she might think it's goodbye or something. I lift my cape off the hook on the wall, throw it over my shoulders and tie it tightly around my neck. "Don't worry, I'll be back as quickly as possible. I promise." "Won't you need your gun?" I force a smile as I open the door. "I'm a Seventy Seven witch. Who's going to mess with me? Lock this after I'm gone." * * * *** * * * *** * * * There are a lot more people in the street now than when we drove through hours ago, practically all of them men. The town is narrow and long, running along this side of the ridge of the valley. The "Black Horse Inn" is at one end, the nice end. I can't see the "Blue Rooster" from the porch of the inn. A big flashing neon sign would be nice. There's a man just getting off his horse in front of the inn. Maybe he's from around here. "Excuse me, Sir. Do you know where the 'Blue Rooster' is?" He looks down at me, disdain written on his face. "You should know when to speak to your better, lass." Better? BETTER?! Who the Hell is this guy? I'm just about to give him my opinion about this 'better' crap when he stalks past me and into the inn, ignoring me completely. So, that's the way it's going to be. You don't spend your entire life in New York City and not learn how to deal with pompous jerks. I'd chase him down but Johnathyn said I should keep a low profile. He's probably right. Unfortunately. He's likely not the last guy I'm going to run into tonight with that attitude so I'd better break out the New York state of mind for the rest of the day. One side's as good as the other, so I take the right side of the street and march off, checking out each building as I pass, looking for a sign, a name plate, something telling me what its' name is. I pass what looks like a general store, a barber shop, "The Silk Garter", "The Wolf's Bane" and a clothing store before running into a crowd of drunken men. I try to pass them on the road side of the walkway but one of them grabs me around the waist, pulling me towards the group. "What have we here, me boys? A fair lass alone in such a city as this. The poor girl needs our protection. What say you, woman?" I reach down with my right hand, grab his thumb and bend it back towards his wrist. Even as drunk as he is, he feels the pain instantly, letting go of me, dropping to one knee. "OOOWWWWW!! Release me you WOMAN! I'll OOOWWWWWW! STOP THAT!" His equally drunk buddies find it all pretty funny. They're laughing and stumbling around. I press my advantage. "Pray, kind Sir. Do you know where I might find 'The Blue Rooster'?" "UNHAND ME WENCH OR I'LL GIVE YOU THE BACK OF MY HAND! OOOOWW!! OOWW! OOOWWW!" I release some of the pressure I applied after that last outburst. "Ill mannered you may be, but surely you can be a gentleman and answer a simple question." He looks up at me, anger blazing in his eyes, the pain sobering him up quicklyAN. One of his laughing friends touches my shoulder. I jerk my head around to stare him down, not losing the grip on my first friends' thumb. He steps back, hands up and palms forward. "Have mercy on my poor friend. He didn't recognize Opulessa in this disguise of yours." "My name is Alexia and can you answer my question?" There's a lot of harsh laughter and eye rolling before the second guy quiets everyone down. "Who are we to keep ALEXIA from her duty? The 'Blue Rooster' is just across the street." I let go of the thumb, its owner immediately stands up and draws back his hand to slap me. The second guy stops him. "You were bested, Adrick, accept it." "It was a trick!" "Aye, it was. One I wish I knew. You had better move along, lass, before the constables arrive." I don't want to leave it at that, but I've got the information I need. I back away several feet to make sure I'm not being followed then turn and hurry across the road, dodging horses, wagons and the inevitable results of a lot of horses moving through an area until I reach the other side of the road. I check to make sure no one is following me. The group is moving down the street, making fun of the guy whose thumb I could easily have broken. That was a close one. Somebody grabs both my arms from behind. "We're not a group of Klatch sucking fools ... witch." * * * *** * * * *** * * * What is taking Pegues so long! I've been waiting in this stinking bar for over two cycles! At first I had to fend off the bar wenches but there were many more interested men and they soon discovered I was not going to partake tonight. Even if I had not been here on business, their charms are nothing compared to Alexia. So beautiful but so strong also. She is perhaps too certain of herself, but that is a folly of youth. Life teaches you humility over time. Time! I have left Leeanna alone for much too long. Alexia will do the best she can to keep her calm but I should have returned long ago. Damn Pegues! Where are you? "Tyber! You look well." He came upon me from behind. "Pegues, you are late. Very late. Explain yourself!" "Calm yourself. All is well." "All is not well. I have left my daughter in this unruly town for far too long." "But she was not alone. The intrepid Alexia Thompson has been with her." "Leeanna is not Alexia's responsibility, she is mine and mine alone." "That is why I picked the 'Black Horse Inn', the safest inn for miles around." "Still ...." "Let us finish our talk and you can return to your daughter. Has Alexia displayed any mastery of magic?" "None that I have seen. She is a remarkable person but no magical abilities, at least not yet. Are you certain she is the One?" "Yes, I am. Everything depends on it. Perhaps she has not been challenged enough." "What do you mean, Pegues?" "She may need the proper motivation to display her capabilities." "What kind of motivation?" "We shall see." "What have you done, Pegues?" "Nothing dangerous. Some of my men are ... threatening Alexia, persuading her to show what she can do." "Are you mad! They could hurt her!" "Not seriously. A little pain can be good encouragement to defend yourself." "Where are they?!" "Behind this building. Wait! Tyber, where are you ..." I jump up from the table, grab my cloak from the chair next to me, run out the front door and around the building. When I reach the back, I see Alexia surrounded by five men. One is on his back, unconscious. A second is writhing on the ground, clutching his nether regions. The other three are in front of her, holding knives, shifting around while she wields a long piece of lumber, holding them at bay. "Alexia!" She looks up to see me, as do the men in front of her. "Where the Hell have you been!" she shouts, stepping forward and swinging the piece of lumber with all her strength, striking the man nearest her who had turned his head when I shouted her name. She catches him in the side of the head, sending him sprawling across the frozen ground and his knife flying through the air, landing near me. I pick up the knife and slowly edge over to where she stands, watching the other men as I do so. "I was detained. Do you want a knife?" I point towards the knife dropped by the first man she had struck. She waggles the wood in her hand. "No thanks. I'm doing pretty good with this, keeps them away from me." "Striking that man when he was not looking ... that wasn't very fair." "I'm from New York. There's no such thing as a fair fight." "What do we do with these men?" "Now that you're here, I can beat 'em to death." The two men opposite us turn their heads to look at each other then quickly run for it. I start to give chase but Alexia calls to me. "Let it ride, Johnathyn." "Ride what?" "Let them go. We need to get back to Leeanna." "Are you well?" "I'm fine. They never laid a glove on me." She tosses the lumber aside and smiles. "It's been awhile since I was in an honest to God fight. Nice to know I'm not rusty. You done here?" "Yes, I saw who I needed to see. Are you certain you are well?" "Yes, I am perfectly well. Let's go." She strikes out for the "Black Horse Inn", walking quickly away, her skirt swishing around her legs as she strides first through the partially frozen muck and then along the walk as she reaches the street. I have to hurry to catch up to her. "What happened back there?" I ask as we walk along, me donning my cloak. "One of them grabbed me from behind. He and a friend drug me back behind the building. At least ten guys saw them do it and not a damn one of them said shit about it! What the fuck is wrong with this world? You don't go grabbing women off the street in front of a crowd of men." "Agreed. Terrible thing. What happened?!" "The other three were waiting for us when we got back behind the building. They let me go and told me to stand there and wait. The group huddled up and started discussing what they should do with me, ignoring me completely. What the hell were they thinking?" "That you would do as you were told." "Somebody should have warned them then. There was a piece of wood about the size of a baseball bat in a pile of trash. I picked it up and clocked one of them in the head from behind and got another one in the balls before they knew what hit 'em. The other three pulled knives and tried to surround me but I held them off for a couple of minutes. That's when you showed up. Thanks. I'm not sure I could have taken the other three." "What did they want?" "That's the weird part. I think they wanted to rough me up but they hadn't decided how to do it. They were so busy talking they didn't see me grab the bat. Idiots." "Thank Zaphod they were or you might have been harmed." "Maybe, but I got the impression they didn't want to hurt me, at least not badly. Someone sent them after me." This is not good. "Did they say who it was?" "I didn't catch a name. We may need to be more careful. Did you meet your contact?" "Yes." "AND?!" "And?" "What happens next?" "All is as planned. We continue on to our next stop." As we near the Black Horse Inn, Alexia stops, placing her palm lightly on my chest. My flesh tingles despite my thick cloak and woolen shirt. "We better not say anything about the fight to Leeanna. She thought you were dead and that she and I were next. No use getting her all worked up. Just tell her that your guy was late." "Which he was." "That's right. She doesn't need to know the whole story. She was really worried about you." "And you, Alexia, were you also worried about me?" I look down at her as she glances up, our eyes connecting. She blushes. "Me? No ... I ... no, I wasn't ... You're a big boy, you can take care of yourself ... though I did tell Leeanna that I was worried ... I didn't want her to think she was alone ... that's all." I smile. "That was kind of you. Let us go in and assure her that everything is well." * * * *** * * * *** * * * Two of my men are waiting for me when I return to my room. One is well but the other has a black eye that appears to be in its early stages. If so, it will be a beauty before it is done. "Pegues! Why didn't you warn ..." "Be silent! Come in and we can talk." I unlock the door and we all hurry in, locking the door behind us. I drop my cloak on the bed and turn to face them. "Now, Bailles, what happened?" "What happened was that She-demon you sent us after nearly killed Dudian. Tarique may never father children and you can see for yourself what she did to Nuggent here." "Where is the fifth member of your party?" "Tyco took Dudian to a Healer." "How did she do all this?" "With a club of hard maple, that's how. We might have had her if that bull of a man hadn't interfered." "Any signs of magic? Any at all?" "None that I saw," answers Nuggent. "How did one woman get the advantage of five men?" "I don't understand how. We followed her from the Inn, just as you instructed. She had a dispute with a group of drunken louts, besting one of them with some kind of grip on his hand." "Maybe that was magic," says Bailles. "Not likely. Go on, Nuggent." "After disposing of the louts, she crossed the street where Bailles and I caught her, bringing her to the back of the "Blue Rooster". We released her, told her to wait right there and do nothing. We proceeded to discuss what to do next and she attacked us! From BEHIND! Dudian and Tarique went down almost immediately. We had recovered from that attack and were almost ready to take care of the problem when a big man ..." "The bull," adds Bailles. "... came around the corner of the 'Blue Rooster'. I turned to see who it was and ..." he gingerly touched his eye, wincing. "Leaving Tyco and I," finishes Bailles. "The bull picked up Nuggent's knife. We ran for it but they didn't chase us. We circled back and Tyco carted Dudian to the Healer. You know the rest." "No magic at all?" "Other than how else can you explain one young girl besting five strong men?" says Nuggent. "She had help." "Yes, Bailles. The bull. There is another explanation. Alexia was not raised as our women were. She had a different life before coming here." "You might have warned us, Pegues." "That was part of the test, Bailles. The results are disappointing but there is still time." CHAPTER SEVEN We stopped at two more little towns over the next three days and Johnathyn did his blacksmith jack of all trades thing while Lee and I did the girl thing. Mostly Lee, I just stayed in the background as much as possible, though she did have me explain how I made a chicken casserole with rice and mushrooms. All the women seemed impressed. We got a fresh baked pie out of it along with other supplies so it was a successful couple of stops. Johnathyn was driving on the fourth day out from Shellcrest while I sat next to him. It was a surprisingly warm day and we were heading into a high sun, so neither of us had our heavy cloaks or capes on. We were talking about guns. He had seen the Glock when we had gotten back to our room at the "Black Horse Inn" and insisted I show it to him, explaining how it all worked. He made me promise to let him try it the first chance we had, which turned out to be late on the first day out from Shellcrest. He felt we were far enough away from civilization, such that it was, that it was safe. He was like a little kid with a new toy. I limited him to just three clips, didn't want to burn the ammo on target practice. Naturally, he started wild but he quickly got better. Then he brought out his flintlock from a locked box on the side of the wagon. He said he made it himself. The man is a craftsman; there is no doubt about that. The wood polished to a bright sheen. All the metal smooth and clean, no sign of rust anywhere. Looked to be about .50 caliber. He showed me how to shoot it and I fired it several times, as did Lee. She was better than I, as was Johnathyn, but, to be fair, they had a lot more practice than I had. Johnathyn was actually very good, and surprisingly fast. He could reload and shoot very quickly, but, obviously, nothing like a semi-auto hand gun. We were just rehashing the shooting excursion while we drove on when two men on horseback surprised us by bolting from a stand of trees by the side of the road, blocking our path. They are dressed alike, black pants and tunics with light metal yellow breast plates with some kind of insignia painted on the upper left corner. Johnathyn brought the wagon to a quick stop while I told Lee to hide the computer. She had been using the Britannica program to research about fruit trees. "Where should I put it?" she whispers, wide eyed. My pack is too far away. "Just hide it deep under those blankets." She gives me a quick nod and wraps a shawl around it, then stuffs it far under a pile of bedding. Unfortunately, the Glock is also locked in my pack. I turn back to Johnathyn. "Who are they?" I whisper. "The Queen's Guard," he quietly answers. "What do they want?" "Probably some of our supplies. They are worse than thieves. Just give them what they want and they will leave us alone." "You mean we're supposed to let these bums just take what they want? How in the world do you ..." "Alexia. Please." They're almost on top of us. "Fine," I grouse. "Good morning," shouts the older guard. "Where are you headed this fine day?" "We are traveling to Winstead." "And what is your business in Winstead?" asks the younger guard. "I am a blacksmith. We travel about, making a living." "Who is 'we'?" "My wife and child." The younger Guard stays in front while the older one brings his horse around to the back of the wagon, where Lee is sitting. "How old are you child?" "Ten." She answers, sullenly. "The woman is too young to bear this child." "My child's mother died in childbirth. The woman is my new wife." The young guard is giving me the once over. I'd be happier if I was wearing my cape. I'm sure the look on my face is not offering him any encouragement. It may not matter. "Why do you stop us?" asks Johnathyn. "We are authorized to stop all vehicles to search for contraband. There are rebels in these lands and we must root them out." replies the older guard. "We are not rebels," says Johnathyn. "Perhaps not," says the younger guard. "We shall see what we see. Everyone out the back." Johnathyn steps off the bench , walking through the wagon. I follow him. When we reach the back, he jumps out. I help Lee out and then jump out myself. The older guard reaches to a scabbard attached to his saddle and pulls out a rifle ... a M4A1! How the Hell did this guy get a current issue US Army weapon?! He indicates with the muzzle where he wants us to stand. Johnathyn and I stand together, Leeanna standing in front of us. The other guard rides around the back, dismounts, climbs into the back of the wagon and starts to tear it apart. "What exactly are you looking for?" I ask. The older guard glares at me for a second or two. "Contraband." "And what exactly is defined as contraband ... Sir?" "Whatever we think it is and you best keep a civil tongue in your head or I may cut it out." Johnathyn takes my hand, squeezing it gently. "Be calm," he whispers. The young guard continues to go through the wagon but doesn't find anything he thinks is of value. The longer he goes without finding something, the madder he gets. "Where's your money?" he demands. "We have no money" Johnathyn answers. "It is all trade. I work, they give me supplies. We have flour, beans, salt, sugar ..." "What do I care for flour and beans?! You best have something of value or we will take it out in trade ourselves with your pretty wife. And daughter." Johnathyn's hand reflexively clamps down on mine as the other guard laughs. The one in the wagon returns to ripping it apart. Lee begins to cry. The older guard points the muzzle of the rifle at me. "Woman! Keep the whelp quiet." I slowly squat down next to her. "These nice ... men will be done soon. We'll put everything back the way it was and be on our way. They won't be much longer ..." "What is this?" shouts the younger guard. He comes to the back of the wagon holding my pack. CRAP! I look up at Johnathyn. Our eyes meet and he nods his head slightly. "They are my tools. I can carry them if the job is away from the road or the wagon." "Show me these tools." "As you can see, it is locked." "Then unlock it ..." he pulls a knife from his belt, "or I shall open it myself." Now what? Either way, he's going to find my other equipment and the Glock. He may not know what the other stuff is but he'll be interested in that Glock. I stand up but before I can do anything else, something in the wagon starts beeping. "What is that?" he asks. He starts digging into the bedding where Lee hid the computer. It only takes a few seconds for him to find it. He looks the beeping machine over, moving it about in his hands. "A curiosity" he announces. "Let's have a look" the older guard says. The younger one jumps out of the wagon, but before he takes a step, Lee runs over to him and grabs the laptop. "That's ours and you can't have it!" she shouts. "Leeanna!" Johnathyn screams. They both have a grip on it and each pulls but Lee manages to get it away from the guard, falling to the ground when he releases it. "Stupid bitch! I'll teach you some manners!" He lifts his knife and steps towards her. "NOOO!" I bellow, making a slashing motion with my right arm. The guard pauses, his eyes grow wide and white ... then his head falls off, the body staying upright for a few seconds before tumbling to the ground, spraying blood from his neck. The other guard drops his rifle in shock. Leeanna screams as the blood hits her, then she faints. Johnathyn looks down at me. "How ..." he starts but the older guard points at me as his horse rears up. "WITCH!" he shouts. "WITCH!!!" He spurs his horse and gallops away, rapidly speeding down the road. Johnathyn grabs my arms. "We must stop him! He knows about us, about you! He will tell his superiors! You must stop him!" "Me?! There's a horse, you chase him down! You can take the Glock!" "He has too great a head start and he is much smaller than I. I won't be able to catch him. You must do it, Alexia." "I don't know how!" "You killed HIM!" he says, pointing to the body on the ground. "He was going to hurt Lee! I don't how it happened, it just did!" "Then it has best happen again because it is all up to you, Alexia." I look down the road. He's at least half a mile away. I swing my arms but nothing happens. He's getting farther away each second. I close my eyes and concentrate, calming my breathing, slowing my heart beat. I think of the horse and rider. "Alexia?" asks Johnathyn. "SSHHHH. Drop it." I try to put myself there in my mind. I can feel the wind, hear the panting horse, the jingle and rattle of the hardware on the saddle, the pounding of the hooves. I open my eyes. I'm there. Right beside him. The guard is bouncing in the saddle but I'm tracking with him, smooth as silk. He's talking to himself ... or I'm hearing his thoughts. "The witch will pay for this! She killed Thackery. I will report this to the Captain and we will get her! Her and that witch whelp of hers!" "Not a good idea." He jerked his head left and right, panic clear in his eyes. He heard me. "Where are you, Witch?!" "Apparently right next to you. So ... you want to turn me into your Captain?" "NO ... No ... I would never do that. Never." "Then stop and let's talk about it." "No. You'll kill me!" "I can kill you anyway. Stop and we can try to work it out." "No. No, it's my duty. I must ... Please! I have a wife, children." "Any daughters?" "No, but ... "Pity." The horse rides on alone as the guard's head goes one way and his body falls the other. * * * *** * * * *** * * * It took hours to clean everything up. We stripped and buried the bodies. The heads were buried elsewhere. We kept the one horse and both M4A1's, along with the extra ammo and clips. I didn't even try to get the blood from Leeanna's clothes, we just burned them along with the uniforms the guards wore. Johnathyn said we should get moving as soon as possible. I agreed so I tried to straighten up the wagon while we were rolling down the road. Leeanna sat on the bench next to her father, wrapped in a blanket, still in a state of shock. It was a full moon and clear skies so we continued driving past sunset, though at a slower pace. We finally pulled off the road near midnight, having pushed the horses pretty hard. We weren't going anywhere tomorrow. Johnathyn helped me fix a simple supper. He'd never done that before. We all ate in silence then Leeanna returned to the wagon, leaving her father and I alone around the fire. The clear skies mean a cold night. I've got my cape wrapped tightly around my shoulders and feel dead tired but have no desire to go to sleep. Johnathyn is pouring something from a brown jug into his metal mug. "What's that?" I ask. "Klatch. It's a local drink." "Why haven't I seen you drink it before?" "I try not to drink it very often. It sets a bad example for ..." He tips his head towards the wagon. "I see. It's booze. Pass it over." I hold out my hand but he hesitates. "What's wrong?" "Klatch is very strong." "And you don't think I can handle it? Johnathyn, ol' buddy ol' pal, I've tried them all. I think I can handle Klatch." "Miran Pegues said your world had nothing like it." "I'll be the judge of that. Hand it over." He carefully passes me the mug and I took a sniff. Nothing outstanding. I take a sip and my eyes cross, the burning sensation running from my mouth to my toes. I try to keep a straight face as I pass the mug back. "What do you think?" he asks. I don't try to speak right away because I know that I can't. It takes several seconds for my vision to clear. "Miran is wrong, we have something like that. It's called Everclear Wood Grain Alcohol, though I think Everclear has a more subtle palate and sophisticated aftertaste." Johnathyn takes a big swig and reaches for the jug to refill the mug. "I would like to try this Everclear. Our worlds have so many similarities." "Yeah. Death and taxes." He takes another big drink. The guy must have a metal gullet. He offers it to me again. I take it and sip. It leaves me gasping for air. "Are you well, Alexia?" "Yeah, just swallowed wrong." I hand the mug back. He takes it, rolling it between the palms of his hands while staring at the fire. "Alexia, I must apologize for not protecting my daughter today. And you." "It's not your job to protect me." "But it is. I am the man of the family and it is my responsibility." "Hey. I'm a man too, remember?" "Somehow, I have a difficult time thinking of you as a man." "Well, I am and don't you forget it, though, after seeing what the men of this world are like I'm not exactly a member of the cheering section. Present company excluded." "Thank you, Alexia. There are many good men in this world." He hands me the mug and I sip again. The effect isn't as extreme when you're expecting it. "Couldn't prove it by me. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I scared Leeanna half to death when I ... did that guy. I didn't mean to do it, I mean not that much. I just wanted to stop him from hurting her, not kill him." "It did not matter. If you had used magic to stop him, they would have reported it and we would be running for our lives right now. They were dead men as soon as they discovered that bag of yours." "Johnathyn ... you don't have to answer this if you don't want to ... but, have you ever killed someone? Intentionally killed someone?" "No. No, I have not." "Neither had I before today." "But you knew it would happen eventually, correct? You wanted vengeance on those who killed your mother and ... sister? Surely, that means killing them, correct?" "I guess so; hadn't really thought it all through. Vengeance sounds good, like it's what you should do, particularly if the cops aren't doing anything, but the reality is harder than you realize. That first guard was practically an accident." "A happy accident, no doubt." "Yeah, I guess. Leeanna survived. I didn't know what would happen. But the second one was a different story. I tracked him down from out of nowhere but I was trying to do it. When I got to him, I tried to settle everything. He refused to work with me, so I killed him. Just like that." "You had no other choice. They have fast horses and powerful guns. We have neither. You did it to save Leeanna. And me. And yourself. And, eventually, if we succeed, this world. A small price to pay." "No. An enormous price to pay. From here on out, I will take as few lives as I can get away with." He tips the mug back, draining it, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Then you had best learn how to control your powers." * * * *** * * * *** * * * When we enter the town square of Winstead, it looks like the entire town is gathered there. I thought maybe word of Johnathyn's skills had spread but as we got closer, I could see why the crowd was there. A woman, stripped to the waist, was being whipped on the back. Her arms are tied to some kind of wooden frame, her back already covered by fine, bloody lines. I see just two more strikes, the woman not flinching at either one, before the man wielding the whip coils it around his hands and signals for her to be released. Several women rush forward and untie her. Two of them support her as she falls away from the frame, carefully setting her on the ground while a third begins to clean the wounds. I lose sight of her as the other women gather round. The men in the crowd start to drift away but the man with the whip walks towards us, along with two other men. Johnathyn places a big hand on my lap and shakes his head, warning me to say nothing. The man walks up to Johnathyn's side of the wagon. "Hail, friend. What business have you here in Winstead?" "I am a blacksmith, traveling from town to town, applying my trade. Do you have a blacksmith?" He smiles broadly. "Nay, we do not. You are most welcomed! You may set up next to my store over there." He points towards a two story wooden building with an empty lot next to it. "You will find that we keep you quite busy. Perhaps you would care to stay awhile?" "Sorry, but no. My family and I are headed west but I thank you for your offer. If I may ask, what was the trouble I just saw?" The man frowns, hefting the whip. "A sorry business, that. One of the women in town has been unwilling to accept her lot in life. She has been agitating among her kind for a change in our society. We are a tolerant town but one can only take so much before needing to restore order. I hope that will be last of it.? Johnathyn nods his head in sympathy. ?A trend we have seen as we travel about. Alexia, go see if you can lend a hand.? He leans down towards the man. ?My wife has certain talents. She may be able to help.? I climb down off the bench seat, the three men watching me with interest. ?Alexia. One does not hear that name very often. You have my permission to help if you can.? I bow my head towards him slightly. ?Thank you, Sir,? I say through gritted teeth. Johnathyn knows that I can?t likely help but I do want to find out what is going on. I hurry over to the group of women, the one who was whipped is now standing, still supported by two other women. The group is breaking apart just a bit as I approach. ?Can I help?? I ask. An older woman looks at me, then gasps, her eyes wide with fear. The others don?t react right away, deferring to the older woman, She stares at me for a moment or two, then her eyes narrow. ?What is your name, child.? ?My name is Alexia. And I am not a child.? Some of the women begin to giggle, but the older woman cuts them off with a look of disapproval. She turns her attention back to me. ?No, you are not a child. You can help Tarryn back to my home. Timara, you go fetch some more bandages. Alexia will help with Tarryn.? One of the two women supporting the whipped woman looks at the older woman, eyes questioning her decision. The older woman nods, confirming her order so, Timara, I assume, steps away and I step in under Tarryn?s shoulder, helping support her as we slowly and carefully walk away. I have no idea where we are heading so I let the other two take the lead as the other women scatter. It takes over ten minutes to move Tarryn less than a hundred feet, her moaning filling my ears. We pass several men along the way, some in groups, others standing by themselves. Most with smug looks of satisfaction on their faces, but some look away in shame. Johnathyn may be right, there could be some good men out there. Not good enough to put an end to this abomination though. The older woman opens the door to a small white house and we ease Tarryn through the door and into a bedroom off the kitchen. The woman hesitates for a moment, then touches my shoulder. ?We will leave her with Bixia, for now.? The other woman smiles up at me as she begins to undress Tarryn, who is laying face down on a bed. The older woman guides me out and closes the door. She studies me for a moment, then turns to the stove, placing a teapot on it. ?Would you like some tea, Alexia?? ?I really should be getting back to my husband.? ?Please, stay a moment. You have helped us today, it is the least I can do. My name is Dierdra.? She?s a little shorter than I am, heavier too. If I had to guess, I?d say she was early to mid forties, her hair a mix of gray and brown. Not a lot of wrinkles on her face but her hands show their age. She?s worked hard during her life. She?s got that tough Grandmother vibe, not the kind to pass out candy but chase you off her lawn. I give her a smile and a shrug. ?I didn?t really do much. We got here too late for ?? I trail off. ?For you to stop it? It would have been foolish for you to attempt to do so.? ?Why didn?t one of you stop it?? Dierdra sits down, indicating with her hand for me to join her. I do. ?Tarryn is a brave woman, not much older than you, I think. She was warned, more than once, but she persisted. She wanted, no, demanded that we allow her to face the punishment. ?There can be no change without pain? she said.? ?Civil disobedience. It?s the push for civil rights all over again.? ?I am not familiar with what you are talking about, Alexia.? The teapot begins to whistle so Dierdra gets up, removes two small, light blue pottery cups from a shelf next to the stove and pours steaming tea into both, using a cloth to filter out the tea leaves. She sets one in front of me and remains standing, holding the other in her two hands. She brings the cup to her lips, blows gently for a moment then takes a sip. ?Where are you from, Alexia?? ?We?re traveling from New Amsterdam. We plan to stop at Glory before heading west.? ?Glory. An amazing place, that.? ?So I?ve heard.? ?But you are not from New Amsterdam. You do not speak like a Northeasterner.? ?No, I?m not. My husband is though.? ?Anyone who hears him can tell that is true. But where are YOU from?? ?Does it matter?? ?Perhaps not. I assume you know who else lives in Glory.? ?Do you mean the Queen?? ?Yes, the Witch Queen. Have you ever met a witch before, Alexia?? ?Not that I?m aware of. Does the Queen hold audiences for common folk such as myself?? ?For common folk like you? I would think not. I have met the Queen before. She is a powerful witch, unlike any seen before her.? Dierdra removes her hands from her cup but it just sits there, floating in the air. She lets it stay there for at least ten seconds, then she returns her hands to the sides of the cup, grasping it firmly again but keeping her eyes fixed on mine. ?Until now.? CHAPTER EIGHT Several other women have come and gone from Dierdra?s home, all bringing in supplies to care for Tarryn, who?s asleep right now. There has been so much traffic that I haven?t had many chances to speak with Dierdra about her little demonstration. She made me promise to visit her this evening. ?You couldn?t keep me away with wild horses,? I told her. I rushed back to where Johnathyn was firing up the forge. There was the usual gaggle of men passing around a bottle but not the group of women. Today?s display probably took the festiveness out of the women. So I stayed in the wagon with Leeanna, who kept as far away from me as possible. I couldn?t even tempt her with music from my MP3 player, a sure fire bit of bait up until today. The killings must really have her spooked. I look out occasionally to see what Johnathyn is doing. The first time I checked, he was working on mending the blade of a shovel, heating both pieces and hammering them back into one. The next time, he was working on a plow axle. Sometimes I think he?s got more magic in him than I do. I understand the science of it all but it?s still possible to be impressed when you see him in action. Turns out that the smug little bastard with the whip is Jaylen Burket, leading citizen, business owner and all around big fish in a little pond. He?s also the self-appointed mayor of Winstead. There?s no outpost for the civilian police or the Queen?s Guards for many leagues in any direction. They?re mostly on their own. Johnathyn had accepted an offer to share supper tonight with Burket at his home. Luckily, I wasn?t invited so I made reservations at Dierdra?s for myself and Lee. Apparently, this is a common local practice when discussing business. I?d wager the local chamber of commerce is going to put the screws to Johnathyn to stay in Winstead. Good luck with that one. I can?t even get him to help with the laundry. Today?s Evolved Man. Baagh! I bring my laptop with me to Dierdra?s. It?s in my big handbag. Lee hasn?t touched it since the killing of the guards. I haven?t decided yet how much I trust Dierdra. Tonight will help me decide. When Lee and I arrive, I discover that we are alone, Tarryn has been taken back to her house, which isn?t far away, though Dierdra is on call. ?Are you certain you want the child here?? she asks. ?Lee knows as much as I do about what is going on.? ?Is that wise?? ?Her father doesn?t object.? ?But you are her mother.? ?Ahhh ? more like step-mother, at least for now.? ?As you wish. What are you?? ?Excuse me?? ?I am a Fifty Two. What are you?? ?I suppose I am a Seventy Seven.? ?I knew it! As soon as I saw you, I could feel the power in you! It was easier to levitate that cup with you in the room. You radiate magic.? ?Why didn?t I sense it in you?? ?I don?t know. You should have been able to do so. How old are you?? ?Twenty one.? ?And in all that time you have not met another witch?? Until now, Lee has been silent, just sitting and listening. ?Tell her,? she says. ?Leeanna, I?m not sure if we should ?? ?Just tell her, ALEX!? Dierdra is looking back and forth between us. If she is going to help me learn what I need, she must know the truth. ?My name is Alex Thompson. I?m not from this world.? ?What other world is there?? ?This is going to be hard to explain. There are many other worlds, some similar, some quite different. I come from a world that is much more advanced technologically but there is very little magic. Other than that we?re pretty similar except, on my world, men and women are equal.? Or at least a lot closer to being equal. ?How did you get to my world?? ?There?s a ?. device, an invention that lets my people come to your world. I was brought here by one of your people so that I could defeat Queen Opulessa.? ?If there is no magic on your world, how did you become so powerful?? ?This is another tough one. When someone goes from my world to yours, they change sex. On my world, I am the seventh son of a seventh son. On this world, I?m the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. I?ve only had the power for over three weeks. I don?t know how it works or how to control it.? ?You are saying that if I would go to your world, I would become a man?? ?Yes. The man who first contacted me was a woman on my world. She didn?t bother to tell me about the change until I was already here.? ?Why did you come at all?? ?To be truthful, I was tricked.? ?So, when you discovered you were tricked, why did you not return immediately?? ?There are people in your world working with people in my world. The person who brought me here originally wanted my brother, the eighth son of a seventh son. People here found out about the plan and had people in my world kill both my brother and mother. I am here to make certain they do not get away with it.? ?If your brother had come instead of you ? he would have been a Seventy Eight!? ?That?s what I?ve been told. As it is, they?re stuck with me.? ?And you plan to challenge Opulessa?? ?We are on our way to Glory now.? ?Did a man create this plan?? ?I believe so.? ?It must have been a man because it is utter madness!? ?What do you mean?? ?You have no chance, girl. None. Opulessa has been the ruling queen of this world for over two hundred years. She has exquisite command of her power and it is immense. Compared to me, my power is measured in drops and hers in buckets.? ?Don?t I also have buckets of power?? ?Yes, probably so but you yourself said you have no idea how to use it. Have you done a single magical act?? ?Unfortunately, yes.? ?Why, unfortunately?? ?It was an accident ? but I killed two men.? ?You killed two men?!? ?They were of the Queen?s Guards. The first was trying to harm Leeanna. I tried to stop him but ? it went too far.? ?And the second?? ?He had ridden off to report us to his people. If he had gotten away and reported us, we would have been chased down and killed. I had no choice.? ?He had ridden away? How far away was he?? ?Half a league,? Lee answers. ?Half a league?! How did you do it?? ?I ? cut off his head.? ?From half a league away? Incredible!? ?I have to learn to control it, Dierdra. I don?t want to do any more harm than necessary. I don?t have much time to do it.? ?I don?t know what I can do for you. I could never kill someone as you did. I could levitate a knife but I could never make it move fast enough to do much harm. To decapitate someone with pure magic ? it is beyond me.? ?But I couldn?t levitate a feather. There has to be something you can teach me.? She sits back in her chair, peering down at her lap for several moments then she looks up. ?Perhaps there is. There are two magical effects. This is the first.? She raises her right hand and a cup floats off the shelf, stopping in front of her, tumbling end over end in midair. Suddenly, it drops to the ground, shattering. ?This is the second.? A second cup comes off the shelf, pauses in midair, then settles softly to the top of the table. Dierdra picks it up. ?What was the difference, Alexia?? ?I ? I ? don?t know. One broke and the other didn?t?? ?No. Magic permits you to do unnatural things. It is a tool, just like a knife or a spoon. If you use the tool to complete the action, once the action is completed, you can remove the tool and the action stays completed. If the action is not completed, remove the tool and the job fails. A cup will not stay up in the air without the continued application of magic. Remove the magic and nature takes over, the cup falls. If you complete the action, then remove the magic, the action remains.? ?I don?t understand.? ?Oh, oh, I know!? Lee exclaims. Dierdra smiles at her. ?What do you know, child?? ?Opulessa is a beautiful woman but she?s two hundred thirty years old. How is that possible? Look at you, you look very old and you?re not two hundred years old.? ?Leeanna!? I cry. ?Leave her be. The child is correct. I am ? over forty. Go on.? ?She must use magic to look beautiful, but if she stops using magic, she?ll look all old and wrinkly. She has to use magic all the time just to keep looking beautiful.? ?What about when she sleeps?? I ask. ?She can?t ever fall completely asleep. If she did, all those things she does that require magic to fight nature would fall apart,? Dierdra answers. ?So, if you know how things work and why things happen, you can use magic to affect it permanently.? ?Exactly.? I reach into my bag and remove the laptop. ?I think I?ve got our secret weapon.? * * * *** * * * *** * * * It was the third time I?d crossed over and it?s still the strangest experience in all my fifty years. I?d made a point to stay in good shape as I got older, but picking up fifty pounds of muscle and six inches in height in an instant is an amazing sensation. That and trading my pussy for a penis. I would never have gotten this assignment if the Earth 2 people hadn?t categorically refused to deal with a woman, which is insane because I?ve been a woman for 94.36% of my life. The twenty seven months I?ve been over here doesn?t make me a man ? though it has given me a new appreciation for the differences between the sexes. My predecessor couldn?t handle the strain. She said she was losing her self identity. My schedule?s been nine months on and three months off. It?s working so far. I just got back from my latest vacation and have an appointment to meet with the First Minister at the Palace. The Queen has her quarters in the west side of the Palace, the government offices, such as they are, are located in the east side. I think the Ministers want to stay as far away from the Queen as possible but still keep an eye on her. After catching the first Winthrop Group wagon of the day, I arrive at the Palace by 9:15 a.m., Earth time. They have a twenty hour day or a twenty cycle day by their language. Ten before Noon and ten after, though noon is midday. Midnight is still midnight. It always takes a few weeks to get used to Earth 2 time every time I return. Two of the Winthrop Group guards stay with me the entire way. The wagon has five guards and they have outriders front, back and both sides, all armed with M4A1 Carbines. The wagon itself is like an armor plated pill box with a .50 caliber machine gun on top, pulled by a dozen horses. It?s a rough, dusty ride into Glory. The two guards stay with me all the way to the First Minister?s office. His Secretary greets me as I enter through the large, double wooden doors. He sits at a table surrounded by boxes of papers stacked on narrower tables that line the walls. ?Good morning, Mr. White.? ?Good morning, Dilgar. Is First Minister Dupree in?? ?Always for you, Mr. White.? He stands up from behind his desk, walks over to the wooden door and opens it. I wait for him to introduce me. ?Mr. Don White, Regional Director of the Consortium to see you, First Minister Dupree. May I show him in?? I can see Dupree over Dilgar?s shoulder. Dupree waives me in. Dilgar steps aside, clearing the path for me. As I walk past him, he steps out, closing the door quietly behind him. Dupree stands and offers me his hand. It?s not their custom to shake hands but Dupree has adapted. ?Welcome back, White. I hope you enjoyed your trip.? I take his hand, gripping it firmly, a male bonding rite now in both worlds. ?I did, First Minister.? ?I don?t understand why you had to return to your world. We have many scenic and attractive areas you could visit.? ?You don?t have Las Vegas.? ?I have heard your people speak of that city before. It sounds enjoyable. I would be interested in visiting if not for ?? If not for losing his dick as the price to do so. We?ve offered practically the entire Ruling Counsel the opportunity to visit Earth but not a single one has ever thought twice about accepting. The thought of becoming a woman is so abhorrent to them, curiosity about my world, no matter how strong, can?t overcome it. I think they have to suppress a certain amount of revulsion to deal with me. The Consortium makes it worth their while. ?You know that the offer remains open, First Minister. Just say the word.? I enjoy picking at that sore. He looks down, shuffling papers on his desk, the suggestion clearly making him very uncomfortable. ?Perhaps some other time ? or perhaps the people who operate Las Vegas might like to visit us