Five Hertz Of Separation (chapters 46-50 Of 61) free porn video

CHAPTER FORTY SIX I don't think anyone heard the "ding" of the elevator when it reached to lobby. There had been a few cries of surprise when the door of one elevator opened and Pegues boarded several minutes earlier, headed for the top floor after Alex called on the radio. That was over ten minutes ago and most everyone's attention had returned to the locked doors. I had been watching very carefully since she left and was relieved when I saw the display above the elevator indicated it was returning to the lobby. I waived my hand in the air to get Johnathyn's attention but Lee had already seen what I had and they were on the move towards the descending cab. I abandon the gardening equipment but pick up the few remaining potion vials, stuffing them into the pocket of my apron. I'd already recovered the vials Pegues had left behind when she had responded to Alex's call. I work my way through the crowd, offering brief "excuse me's" when I push past someone. Lee and Johnathyn arrived before I did, which is hardly surprising given Lee's enthusiasm and Johnathyn's determination. I hope she didn't hurt anyone too badly. Alex smiles broadly when he sees us waiting for him when the doors open. "Time to go, gang!" he exclaims. "Did we win, Mother?" Lee asks. He reaches out and vigorously ruffles Lee's hair. "We did and you helped. A lot." Lee responds with a laugh and clapping his hands. Johnathyn drops her hand on his shoulder, calming him. "Victory is not won until you leave the field of battle," Johnathyn says. "It would be best if we depart as quickly as possible." "You read my mind, Honey. You got what you need, Janet?" I pat the pocket of the apron that holds the vials. "Yes. Let's get out of here, Alex." "Fine by me. Everybody get behind me while I part the crowd." Alex puts his hands together, palm against palm, fingers extended. He turns to face the door and slowly separates his hands. The crowd shifts slightly, creating a narrow path all the way to the doors. Alex charges forward and we follow close behind. When we reach the door, I can see that two befuddled technicians have it partially disassembled, the guard keeping the crowd back. Alex lays his hand lightly on the door. "HEY! Buddy! Back off!" the guard shouts. "Don't worry, officer. I've got this," he calmly replies, waiving the crowd on the outside back a couple of feet. "Watch your hands, gentlemen," he tells the technicians, who lean back, away from the control box. There's a loud "thunk" as the multiple deadbolts all open at one time and Alex pushes the left door open to the general applause of both crowds. Someone on the outside grabs the right door, pulling it open too as we rapidly exit and work our way to the outside edge of the people waiting to get in, leaving the guard to deal with the two crowds, each trying to move through both doors in opposite directions at the same time. Once we reach the sidewalk, Alex gathers us together. "Janet, you and Mirantha take the truck, go back to her rooms and pick up our stuff, then head back to your shop. Johnathyn, Lee and I will catch the subway on the other side of the park and meet you there. Don't speed or run a red light, that registration won't stand a whole lot of scrutiny." "Not your best work?" I inquire. "I was pressed for time. It'll get straightened out before we go. See ya' soon." Mirantha and I hurry to the truck parked around the corner on 56th Street, unlock it, jump in, start it and drive to the intersection, then turn right in front of the happily waving Tyber family. * * * *** * * * *** * * * It's a slow, comfortable stroll through Central Park, Johnathyn and I holding hands while Leeanna darts here and there, sometimes holding my hand and other times just running around. We look like a typical family out for a walk in the late summer. Looks are certainly deceiving. I really should have spent more time in this park when I was growing up. We didn't live anywhere near it back then but it wouldn't have been that hard to come once in a while. Now it's too late. Johnathyn notices my wistful look. "What is wrong, Alexia? Are you displeased with what was accomplished?" "No. I was just thinking about the wasted opportunities of my youth." "You are still quite young for this world. On my world, someone your age would be expected to have left home and have borne at least two children by now but that is not true for this world. I have spent some time watching your tel-a-vision programs and have learned a great deal about your world." "Oh God, Johnathyn! I hate to think what you've learned. Television is not reality. In fact, the least real shows are so-called Reality programs." "I don't understand." "You and a lot of other people. It's a good thing we're getting out of here before you get screwed up even more. Lee!" Leeanna was messing with a small fountain but came running when I called her name. "Yes, Mother?" "Is there anything you want to see before we leave for home?" "No. We are coming back, aren't we?" "I hadn't thought about that. I guess we could but not anytime soon. We've got too much work to do." "Then may I have McRibs and ice cream before we go?" "They are addictive, aren't they? What do you say, Johnathyn? A last meal before we go?" "We need to eat, of course, but if we cross over from here, we will be near New Amsterdam and very far from Glory. Should we not travel closer to Glory in this world and cross over at that point?" "Don't you want to check on the homestead? Make sure your home and shop are in good shape?" "It is desirable, Alexia, but we need to reach Glory as quickly as possible. Much is at stake." "Trust me, Johnathyn. A quick stop at New Amsterdam and I'll get us to Glory before you know it. Let's hit McDonalds." * * * *** * * * *** * * * We needed a secluded spot to fire up the Portal Generator, something at ground level. I'd already crossed over from the second floor once and had no desire to do that again. We could have used LaRouche's store but the Gateway might do some damage. Janet remembered a warehouse that a friend of hers owned where she and other like minded magic practioners had held a few ceremonies. It's in the harbor district, which is perfect. Janet called her friend and made arraignments for us to get access tonight. We load our stuff in the truck, Janet and Mirantha driving it to the warehouse with the rest of us following in a taxi. Janet's friend is waiting by the access door when we get there. She and Janet have a quick hug and she unlocks the door. She offers Janet the keys but Janet declines. "You keep them. We'll shut the door behind us when we leave. We won't be long." "I could wait, if you want?" You can tell she's curious about what we've got planned but we can't tell her the truth. I take her hand and turn on the charm. "Bless you for helping us! My wife and I would be lost without Mistress LaRouche's help and she tells us this is our best chance of success. We can't thank you enough!" "You're - you're certainly welcome. What is the problem ... if I may ask?" "Are you a magic practioner like Mistress LaRouche?" "Ahhh, yes. I - I would say so. Yes." "Well, not to be too explicit. It's a fertility matter," I say, conspiratorially. "Fer-fertility?" she stammers. I hold out my free hand towards Johnathyn. He stares at it for several seconds before reluctantly taking it. "You see, my dear wife is desperate for a child and we've tried practically everything but no luck. We finally turned to Mistress LaRouche for help. She hasn't promised this will work but she says she has a good feeling about it and that's enough for us, isn't it, baby?" I give Johnathyn's hand a squeeze. He looks as if he would prefer to wring my neck. "Yes ... baby," he replies through gritted teeth. "I see. Well, good luck to both of you. I'll just be on my way. Make sure you clean up, uuhh, lock up when you're done." She hurries away towards her car, waving her hand. "Alexia, why did you say such a thing? I have no interest in bearing a child." "I know that, Johnathyn, but we needed her out of here. Mission accomplished. Let's unload and get moving." I grab my battered emergency backpack as the rest of them pick up a bag or two and we all hurry through the door, locking it behind us. "What now?" asks Janet. "First. Pegues. Janet has agreed to let you stay at her place." "So she can keep me under observation for you?" I start to answer him but Janet beats me to it. "No," she says. "I want you to stay with me so I can help. You may have spent some time in this world but you're still basically a newcomer. You'll also need help learning to live as a woman. A few weeks are one thing. A few years are something else." "And what do you get out of this, Mistress LaRouche? If I'm permitted to ask?" "I get a paying tenant. Alex has prepaid for a year. Plus, I get someone who can answer all my questions about your world. This is a unique opportunity for me. I'm sure I can learn so much from you and you can learn from me. With your help, I may be able to strengthen magic in this world. I don't want to miss this chance." Pegues relaxes a bit. "I apologize, Mistress LaRouche. I accept your offer. How am I to pay the rest of my expenses?" I pull a thick envelope from my pack. "Here's the title to the truck, a Social Security card, a New York Birth Certificate, picture ID and two charge cards, all in the name of 'Mirantha Pegues.' You'll have to get your own drivers license, I'm not unleashing another lousy driver on the city. There's also $100,000.00 in cash in here. New York's an expensive town but this should hold you for awhile, at least until we get some trade restarted between the worlds and you can begin collecting some reasonable kickbacks." I toss the package to Pegues. "That answer your question?" He opens the envelope and thumbs through the contents until he finds his ID. He inspects the photograph. "This doesn't look anything like me." "That's what makes it look authentic. They never do. This is the part you're not going to like. I'm taking the portable Gateway back with us to the other side." "NO! I'll be stranded!" "Yeah, you will, at least for a few months. Hear me out. The Consortium has to know that we have their lost Gateway. Once I'm gone, you'll be on your own, unprotected. They can send their people in and find it or scoop you up and make you tell them where you hid it." "You do not give me enough credit, Alex," he complained. "You might be right but we can't afford to lose it. I need to be able to come and go as I wish, can't lose the element of surprise. Once things get established, that may change but it's the truth for now." "You don't even know how it operates." "Actually, I do. I found the manual on their servers. I'm not abandoning you here, Miran. That's another reason for Janet to stay involved. She knows people, she has contacts. If things go wrong, she can help you disappear. I'll be checking in and if everything goes to hell, I'll personally come and get you. You have my word." Just then, Johnathyn moves to stand behind me to my left. I could tell that Pegues knew he wasn't going to win this fight. He kneels down, unzips the bag at his feet and removes the wand, handing it to me as he stands up. "Thank you, Miran. I won't leave you hanging." He shrugs. "I have always been at your mercy since we first met. While I may think I could have been better served, I have never given you a reason to treat me so. However, you have always kept your word. I will rely on that not changing. Good luck and may Zaphod be with you." He offers me his hand. I shake it, as does Johnathyn. "Zaphod's favor be with you, Miran Pegues," says Johnathyn. "We will meet again." Leeanna runs in and hugs Pegues' waist. She has already changed her clothes and is wearing a dress and leather half boots. "Zaphod's favor be with you, Uncle Miran," she says. He smiles and pats her head. I lightly slap his shoulder. "Looks like you're officially family now, Uncle Miran. You and Johnathyn can get the equipment ready to go." He and Johnathyn start to stack the bags next to where we plan to open the portal as Janet slips next to me. "You will keep an eye on him, won't you Janet?" "Of course but she's a wily one." "He is that. You be careful too. You're in the crosshairs now, along with the rest of us." "Won't be the first time, Alex. You take care of that little girl, you hear. If you don't ..." "I know. See ya' soon." "I expect you to invite me to come visit you over there, Alex." "When things settle down, you'll be first in line." I trot over to the launch point where everyone else is waiting. "Johnathyn, you can change on this side. You're getting bigger. I'll have to wait until I land over there. Did you bring something for me to wear?" He pats a particularly large duffle bag, stuffed to the breaking point. "You should find something in here that fits." Leeanna starts to giggle but quickly stifles herself. "What's up?" I ask. "There is nothing up, Alex. We have clothes for you." He points to a stack of boxes off to the side as he picks up a smaller bag. "I will change over there." "Fine, but hurry. Pegues, let's run through the instructions on this wand." Johnathyn steps away as Pegues moves in. "It is surprisingly simple, my Queen." He grins as he takes the wand from me. Guess I better get used to that title. "You enter the frequency of the world you wish to travel to on this keypad built in the handle, then push the red 'lock' button, then push the blue 'engage' button." "Got it. That powers up the wand and you turn these three knobs until the device locks in all three dimensions." "If you say so, my Queen. I just know that I turn the knobs until the lights stop blinking. That's when the portal opens. It will remain open and strong for thirty to fifty milicycles but the lock will begin to fail. You can manually adjust with the knobs but it will quickly become impossible to keep the lock and the portal collapses. If you take the wand with you, the portal collapses instantly as soon as you cross over." "So the operator is the last to leave." "If it is a group, correct, my Queen. I was told that it was originally designed for just one person but the only limitation is how long the portal remains open." He's really trying to push my buttons with this "my Queen" stuff. I'm not happy about it but there's really no other choice, at least no other choice that doesn't leave me looking like a selfish jerk. Pegues was right. I broke it so I bought it. "Johnathyn! Let's blow this popsicle stand!" I shout. "Give me a moment!" he answers from behind the boxes. After a few seconds, he walks out, tugging at the waist of his larger pants. "This is most uncomfortable." "Well, in about ten decicycles you'll be back to your old comfortable self and I'll be the one who's uncomfortable. At least for awhile." Johnathyn looks concerned. "Alexia, if you do not wish to return with us ..." "No, Johnathyn, I do. I really do. But it's not the way I'd prefer to do it. You know that I never wanted to be Queen but now there's no way around it. Let's get ready. I don't have Pegues' skill with the wand so we'll have to be quick about this." "I suggest that we have all the bags stacked where I can reach them. You open the portal, I throw the bags through then I follow. I will shout back if there is a problem. If not, you and Leeanna follow." "You shout back either way, problem or not. That way, we'll know right away. Only stop us if it's a big problem. In fact," I grab my backpack and open an outside pocket, pulling out a tightly wrapped length of rope, "this is a hundred feet of nylon rope. It's not strong enough to climb with but if we double it up and tie it to your waist, you can tug on it to signal it's okay to cross over. If you run into trouble, we can pull you back across." "It is a one way gateway," Pegues says. "How do we know that?" I ask. "Has anyone tried to come back across on the same trip? We only try it if we've got an emergency. We could be jumping over a cliff." "Unlikely, my Queen. This is flat land in both worlds. Primarily river bottom." "So it could be a flood, Mirantha. It's just a precaution. You're probably right but I'd prefer not to take any more chances than necessary." I unwrap the rope, locate the middle, loop it, tying a hitch at the midpoint. "Come here, Johnathyn." He steps next to me. I whip the hitch end around his waist and feed the other ends through the hitch, then tie it loosely. "Caution, Alexia. It should not be too tight." "Don't worry, It'll give a few inches. Just keep a grip on it with your hand." I wrap the free end twice around a support beam then tie it tightly. I reach into my pocket and remove a folding knife, handing it to LaRouche. "You cut this when Leeanna and I jump through. Be careful, it's sharp." She opens it and drags the blade lightly across the back of her left hand, leaving a hairs width red line. "I've handled sharper but it should do. Take care, all three of you. What was it you said? Zaphod's favor be with you all." "And with you, Mistress LaRouche," Leanna says, adding a curtsey. Which looks really strange, seeing she's a boy in a too small dress. Janet hides her smile as she nods her head in acceptance. "My best wishes also, Mistress LaRouche," adds Johnathyn. "Ditto, Mistress LaRouche," I contribute with a grin. "Thank you. My Queen." "Touche. Let's get this show on the road. Pegues, give me a hand with this." "As you wish, my ..." I raise my finger in warning and he stops talking but still comes and looks around my shoulder as I fire up the wand. "Yes, just like that. Turn the knob slower. Do not rush. Treat it as you would a woman." "How poetic." I do slow down and the first row of lights stays lit, quickly followed by the second. I take the third knob in hand. "Get ready everyone! I've almost got it. Leeanna, you hold the rope." She reaches down and grabs the twin ropes just as the blinking of third set of lights slows. Just as before, the air begins to shimmer, radiating away from a point in front of Johnathyn. He picks up a bag in each hand and crouches slightly, poised to throw them at my signal. One blinking light remains as the dark center of the portal expands to a pulsing circle about four feet in diameter. The light locks on. "GO, JOHNATHYN!" I bellow. He speedily tosses the bags, including my backpack into the portal, glances back first at Leeanna then me, gives me a thumbs up and dives into the dark center of the gateway, the rope trailing behind him. I watch foot after foot disappearing, wishing for it to stop immediately. Leeanna is staring intently at the portal as the rope slips through her hands, a slight smile on her face. She doesn't realize that the quickly diminishing pile of rope on our side of the gateway is not a good sign. Suddenly one of the lights begins to darken. I grab the knob. "Carefully, Alex. A light touch," Pegues admonishes. "You may not have much time left." "MOTHER!" Leeanna squeals. "The rope has stopped!" Thank God! "Hold on, Honey. Let me know as soon as ..." "He pulled on it, Mother! Father pulled - he pulled again! Hurry!" I rush to Leeanna, hug her to me with the wand between us. I look back at LaRouche. "CUT THE ROPE!" She grabs it and slashes with the knife, cleanly cutting both strands. She closes the knife and tosses it to me. I catch it with my right hand, stuff it into my coat pocket then scoop up the lose ends of the rope. "We'll be back. I promise." Leeanna grabs me around the neck and we leap into the darkness. CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN We didn't fall nearly as far as last time. It was like slipping on a sidewalk. One second you're on your feet, the next second you're on your back. In the mud. Again. Luckily, Leeanna was on top of me so she stays mostly clean and I've got a change of clothes this time. Johnathyn wasn't quite as lucky. His pants are brown with mud almost all the way to his waist and his shirt is the same from his elbows to his wrists. He's silent but steaming, angry enough to bite the heads off nails. I fight back the urge to laugh. "Aaahh, okay. Leeanna, carefully stand up and move towards dry land." "Where's that?" "I don't know, Sweetheart. Use your best judgment. Try to stay as clean as possible." She pushes herself up off my chest, her hands groping my breasts. I wince in pain. "Sorry," she whispers. "I forgot." "That's fine, Lee. Go on." She moves her hands down to my stomach and quickly gets to her feet. I set up and look around. We've landed in a field but no animals this time. Thank Zaphod. I roll over onto my right elbow and shove myself up to my knees, shaking my arms to remove the grime. "You look a fright," says Johnathyn. "Just like old times. Where are we?" "I am unsure though I believe that there is a road to our left about 200 decileagues away." "Great. Maybe we can catch a bus. Let's get these bags out of this slop. At least they're waterproof." "Your pack isn't." "But the stuff inside is. It's seen worse." "Can I help?" asks Leeanna. "No, Honey. Stay where you are." I carefully get to my feet, minimizing my contact with the mud. I really shouldn't have bothered. I had to change anyway. Johnathyn was the one who has it rough. I grab the bag nearest me and toss it underhand in his direction. It lands in the mud with a big splat about two thirds of the way there. I forgot about the change in my strength. "Sorry, Johnathyn. I haven't adapted yet." He steps back into the slop and retrieves that bag and another nearby. "I understand, Alexia," he answers with an indulgent smile. "It took me many cycles to 'adapt' as you say when I was in your world." He easily throws both bags to dry ground then flexes his arms. "It is satisfactory for everything to be back to normal." Normal for him maybe. I struggle towards my backpack as he goes after the other two bags. When I reach it, he motions for me to toss it to him. "No thanks. Everything in here has been through enough already. I've got it." I'm closer to where Lee is standing so I make my way towards her, careful not to slip and fall. She reaches out to help me as I get near her. I don't really need her help but I grab her hand anyway. She grunts several times as she pulls me towards her. "My! Thank you, Leeanna!" "You're welcome, Mother. Is everything in your pack unbroken?" "Probably. It's got a lot of padding. I'll check it once we get clear of this mud hole. Acres of perfectly green, dry fields and we land in this." "It is softer than the ground," says Johnathyn as he approaches us, walking around the mud pit, carrying all four bags in his hands. Showoff. "We may have been fortunate to arrive here." I look at his mud caked clothes. "Do you feel fortunate?" He uselessly wipes a dirty hand across the front of his dirty shirt, looking at the result. "Not at this time, Alexia." "I thought not." I set my pack down and drop to my knees next to Leeanna, She's the cleanest of us all but she has mud splatters on her dress and her shoes are filthy up to her ankles. I brush at the mud on her dress, wishing I had something to clean her up with, wishing the mud to be gone. The mud falls off her dress as soon as I touch it, like it's coated with Teflon. I draw back my hand in surprise. "What the heck? That was too easy!" "What is too easy?" asks Johnathyn. "This. Watch." I rub Leeanna's shoes. The dirt flakes off in my hands, leaving the shoes sparkling clean. "What is this stuff, Johnathyn?" He sets the bags on dry ground then rubs his pants with his hands. He just smears the mud around. "It is wet dirt." I brush my hand across the caked mud on my backpack. The same thing happens as with Leeanna's shoes and dress. In fact, my pack looks cleaner than it did before being dropped in the mess. "Clearly, Alexia, it is your magic." "Yeah but I'm not even trying, not really." I shake my baggy clothes and the mud dissipates into a dense brown cloud that floats away in the breeze. "See. Nothing to it." "If it is that simple, perhaps you would assist me." I turn towards him and concentrate, seeing the fabric in my mind and how the dirt clings to it. I pull the dirt away from the fabric along with stains, sweat and bits of food. His pants, shirt and boots look like they were dry cleaned, though his hands are still dirty. "Well done, Alexia! What about these?" He holds his filthy hands up. "You probably don't want me messing with your skin, at least not when you can do it yourself with a little soap and water." "Which we do not have right now, but I see your point." "What I want to know is why this is all so easy to do." "Both Miran and Mistress LaRouche talked about the possibility that you might be more powerful than before because you had been working in a world with little magic and doing remarkable things. You had become stronger, accomplishing much with very little. When you return to our world, there may be few limits to what you may be able to do." I reach out with my right hand, lifting the four bags about ten feet in the air. The dirt falls off them like a momentary brown snow storm. I return them gently to the ground. "Sweet. Very sweet." I look around and see a group of bushes about fifty decileagues away. "Grab the bags. We can go over to those bushes and I'll change clothes." "Why not change here?" "You wouldn't have done it over there so I'm not giving you a free show as soon as we get back here. At least not yet." I scoop up my backpack by a shoulder strap, step over to the pile of bags and grip the handle of the duffle that should hold my clothes. Leeanna runs over to the largest bag, struggling to pick it up. Johnathyn hands her the smallest bag. "You may carry this one. It holds our most valuable belongings. Be careful with it." She smiles broadly. "I will, Father." We all march across the field but I catch Leeanna and Johnathyn exchanging conspiratorial smiles as they trail behind me. Something is going on between those two. As we near the bushes, Lee hurries to catch up with me. "Can I help you, Mother?" she asks brightly. "No, I think I can dress myself." "As you wish!" I stop. "Alright. What's going on here? You two are just a little too pleased with each other." "I have no idea what you are suggesting, Alexia," Johnathyn declares. Leeanna just smiles shyly. "U-huh. Liars. You both wait right here while I change." I step behind the bushes which are just barely above my head. Setting my backpack on the ground, I sit on it. Kicking off my oversized shoes, I easily slide my pants past my hips, down my legs, and free of my feet. After unbuttoning my shirt, I let it fall from my shoulders as I stand up, wearing only a pair of boxers that hang loosely on my hips. Thankfully, it's reasonably warm, though it is late in the day. I unhook the clasp holding the duffle bag closed and pull the flaps aside to see what they packed for me. * * * *** * * * *** * * * "JOHN-A-THYHN!" "She does not sound pleased, Leeanna." "But she will look so beautiful, Father! We both saw all those women on that tel-e-vision show. None of them were as pretty as Mother but the underclothes they wore made them look so nice. Imagine how Mother would look dressed as they were." I certainly did imagine that. It made me feel very strange. As a woman, I did not have my manhood to stroke for relief and I was unsure what women do under those circumstances. In fact, I was surprised that women even experienced those feelings. I assumed that I was unique, as I was a man in a woman's body. I confided in Pegues about this and he assured me that I was not unique, that he had also had these kinds of feelings and urges when he had become a woman. He also told me what he had done to relieve himself but I could not bring myself to do as he had done. He said I was a fool for not taking the opportunity. "JOHN-AAAA-THYNNNN!!" No. Not pleased at all. "Leeanna, perhaps you could go see your mother and tell her that ..." "No, Father. She is calling for you. Do not be worried. We wanted to surprise her." "You wanted to surprise her, Leeanna. I agreed with you. That may have been a mistake." "How can being beautiful be a mistake?" How indeed. I'm afraid I am about to find out. As I near the bushes, I pause to look around the edge. Alexia is standing there without anything on beyond a pair of men's undergarments. There are a number of familiar packages scattered on the ground at her feet. "Where did you get all of these ... things?" "We purchased them." "We?" "Leeanna and I." "What possessed you to go to 'Victoria's Secret" with our daughter to buy what looks like every bra, panty, garter belt and stocking that they had in stock?" "Well, you see, we were watching the device you call a tel-e-vision and there was this event that was described as a fashion show and Leeanna was very interested in learning about what women in that world wore. I had no desire to watch this event as there was this other event called a football game taking place at the same time. We argued about it for several decicycles and then I actually saw the fashion show event and found it more interesting than I thought it might be." "So you're telling me that you and Leeanna sat and watched the 'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show,' the show where practically naked women parade up and down a runway to loud music." "Yes! You have seen it! Very interesting event." "I can see why you would think that." "Leeanna said that none of the women were as beautiful as you and she thought you could wear what the other women were wearing and be even more beautiful." "What did you think?" "Fashion in your world is certainly ... exciting. I mentioned it to Miran and he suggested that we use some of the wealth we found at the Portal to purchase these fashions for you." "That rat bastard. Of course he said that. How did you know my size? Or did you just buy a little bit of everything?" "That was simple, Mother!" Leeanna exclaimed as she came around the corner. "I asked women in the store what size they were until I found someone who appeared to be near your size." Alexia looks at me. "You didn't try anything on, Johnathyn?" "I? That would not have been appropriate." "Really? We'll have to see about that the next time we're in town." "What's wrong, Mother? Don't you like them? They're sooo pretty! We have nothing like them in this world. The colors are so bright, they feel so soft!" Alexia opens her mouth to answer Leeanna but pauses when she sees her happy, hopeful face. Alexia shakes her head slightly, forcing a bemused smile. "They're great Leeanna. Thank you very much." "I knew you would like them. Which are your favorites?" "Uhhh, I haven't had a chance to check them all out, Sweetheart. Which are your favorites?" Leeanna giggles and runs to the bag, reaching deep into it, pushing things around before pulling out with two clear bags in her hands. The bags are attached to each other. Whatever is inside is deep red in color. She hands them to her mother, who reluctantly accepts them. "Okay. Give me some privacy." Leeanna scurries back to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me back around the bushes. "I told you Mother would like them, Father." "I am sorry to have doubted your judgment." Leeanna waits for Alexia to dress while I walk to the road with our bags. We arrived in a grazing field that is not currently being used. The livestock are in a different field while this one recovers from prior use. From the look of it, it has been fallow for at least two months. The grasses have grown quite lush in that time, at least seven milileagues. I may know where we are. If I am correct, we are only six leagues from New Amsterdam. I leave the bags by the side of the road and return to Leeanna. Just as I arrive, Alexia emerges from behind the bushes. She has done more than change her clothes. She also fixed her hair into a long braid that she has wrapped around her head. She chose the light blue cotton traveling dress and gray leather corset she first wore at "The Silver Forge" where we met Pegues the last time before entering Glory. It's a long, loose dress, the hem brushing against the top of her black boots. She was lovely that day but she is stunning today, her breasts lifted up and forward. She blushes under my intense attention. "Your daughter chose a pushup bra and thong panty. You sure you didn't have a hand in that?" "No. Our daughter has a mind of her own, though I am certain you know that. I do approve of her choice." "You don't think it's a little too much?" "Mother, you are the most beautiful woman in the world!" Leeanna gushes. I stroll next to Alexia, pick up her pack with my right hand, slinging it over my shoulder, and wrap my left arm around her waist, pulling her tight to me as I lightly kiss her soft, crimson lips. She allows me to let our kiss linger before slowly separating with a smile. "The most beautiful woman in the world?" she asks. "Leeanna does not lie," I say. "I should hope not. No parent should tolerate a prevaricating child." "A what kind of child?" "Never mind. Where are we, Johnathyn?" "I believe that we have landed in a fallow field belonging to Thalyn Burns." "I remember that name. I landed on his farm the last time I traveled to this universe." "He owns much property in this area. A very wealthy man." "Wealthy? I saw a small house on the farm." "That would have been a tenant's house. Burns lives in a fine home." "Good for him. Which way to New Amsterdam?" I point to my left. "This way." She lifts the bag containing her clothes and begins to slip her arms through the straps when I take it from her. "You carry your pack. I will carry this bag." "You sure?" "I would prefer to not be responsible should something break in your pack." "Bright man." We all start to walk through the thick grass towards the road, with Leeanna between Alexia and myself. Leeanna takes my hand in hers and then does the same with Alexia, smiling brightly. We look at each other. I feel a strong sense of contentment, as if we are where we should be, as the family we are supposed to be. When we reach the road, Leeanna takes the smallest bag, Alexia her pack and the second smallest bag and I take the remaining two bags, slinging one over my shoulder and carrying the other in my hand. "How far, Father?" "I estimate six leagues." "Six leagues?!" "Do not be such a ... what is the phrase, Alexia?" "Drama Queen." "Yes, drama Queen, Lee. You used to run farther with your friends while playing." "Why don't we just fly? You could do that, can't you, Mother?" "Probably, but we need to keep a low profile until we can see what's going on. Your father is right. A little exercise will be good for us." Leeanna just snorts and rolls her eyes. So much for contentment. We strike off at a good pace but it isn't long before Leeanna begins to lag behind. I have to gently encourage her several times and then not so gently. Alexia sidles next to me. "Maybe that flying thing wasn't such a bad idea. My feet are beginning to hurt in these new boots," she whispers. "Speaking of shoes, the women who appeared on the fashion show wore some that I had never seen before. The heels were quite narrow and tall. They also wore these very thin stockings that covered most of their legs. You could see right through them." "Your point, Johnathyn?" "Just that they were very appealing. I was wondering if you might ..." "Johnathyn, there is no way I'm introducing high heels and hose to this world. The women would rise up and tear me to pieces. And they'd be right to do so. As for flying ..." "No. You were right to be cautious. We have been gone for many weeks and the world has not likely improved in our absence. I had no knowledge of what was happening in this region. It is best to find out the truth before revealing ourselves." "Wouldn't everyone know what happened by now?" "Perhaps, but you forget that this world has no tel-e-vision, no magiczines, no newsplathers." "That's magazines and newspapers but I get your point. It's all word of mouth which means it's probably wrong." She looks back at Leeanna, who is at least ten decileagues behind us. "Maybe we can take a brief break. We've been walking at least a cycle and a half." I look down the road and see a grove of trees about a quarter league away. "Leeanna." "Yes, Father. I know. I must walk faster." "I was going to say that we will pause to rest when we reach those trees but if you wish to keep walking ..." "No! Pausing is a good idea!" "Well, the sooner we get there..." Alexia says as she quickens her pace. Leeanna accepts the challenge, chasing after her, both of them leaving me in the dust. By the time I reach the trees, both of them have removed their boots and are wading in a small, shallow pool, holding their dresses up at knee height to keep them from getting wet. "Join us, Father!" Leeanna cries. "The water is wonderful!" I sit on a nearby rock. "No thank you. I was hoping to get a drink to quench my thirst but now that you are walking in it, I do not think that ..." Alexia reaches down next to the pool and picks up a large clear round bodied bottle, which she tosses to me. "We had our drinks and we saved you this before we stepped in, just in case you were a little squeamish." I open the lid of the bottle and drink two thirds of the contents quickly. It is cool and clean tasting. "What is 'squeamish'?" I ask. "That your stomach is easily upset by possibly unclean or exotic drinks or food. Of course, you drink Klatch so that answers that question." I was just about to explain the difference between Klatch and dirty feet when I hear the sound of an approaching wagon. I stand up and look down the road we had just traveled and see a hay wagon in the distance. It is a large one, pulled by four stout horses. Alexia and Leeanna continue to wade while it slowly approaches. When it is within fifty decileages, I step out from the trees and into the middle of the road, raising my hand. "Hail, friend!" I shout. The driver pulls sharply back on the reins, bringing the wagon to a quicker stop than I thought possible. He rapidly reaches beneath his bench and removes a long hunting rifle, which he points at me. "Hail friend yourself! Advance and be recognized, long shanks!" This is an uncommonly unfriendly greeting for this region. I raise my other hand while I slowly step closer to the wagon. I can see that Leeanna is restraining Alexia as best she can. As I get closer, the driver squints at me for several milicycles and then smiles, stretching the many wrinkles on his face as he drops his gun to his lap. "Tyber! Johnathyn Tyber as I live and breathe! By Zaphod's gigantic organ, where have you been? It has been a wolf's age since I last saw you." "It is pleasing to see you also, Merlin. We have been abroad." "We? Is your pretty daughter with you?" "Yes, as is my wife." "Wife?! When did you take a wife, Tyber? Is that why you went abroad? None of the local wenches would have you so you went fishing in a larger pond? Let me see what bottom feeding ... by Zaphod's beard!" Merlin's eyes were challenging his head to contain them as Alexia and Leeanna had stepped clear of the woods while we were speaking. He had caught sight of Alexia. Even now, when I look at her, my breath often catches in my throat as if I am seeing her for the first time. For those who are actually seeing her for the first time, the effect is life altering. I hold out my hand to them as they approach from behind me. "Allow me to introduce the women in my life. You already know Leeanna." Alexia takes my outstretched hand. "And this is my wife, Alexia. Alexia, this is an old, very old, friend, Merlin Bekins." Alexia bows slightly. "Not that old. A pleasure to meet you, Master Bekins." She has been practicing, greeting Bekins just as a woman of this world would do. No one would guess the truth. However, Bekins is still too taken aback to respond. It takes several milicycles for him to gather his wits. "Truly, Tyber, you are the most fortunate of men. You have been greatly blessed by Zaphod." I start to speak but Alexia steps next to me, running her hand lightly across my shoulder and caressing my cheek. "I consider myself equally fortunate and blessed by Zaphod, Master Bekins, to have a husband like Johnathyn." Merlin chuckles and shakes his finger at me. "You scoundrel you, Johnathyn Tyber. Where have you been hiding this goddess?" "We have been to Glory and only recently returned." "Glory!" he exclaimed. "Were you there when the Queen was killed?" "You know about that?" I ask. "Who doesn't? It was the beginning of all our troubles." "Pray, tell me of these troubles." "You have not seen for yourself? How could you have traveled all the way from Glory and not encountered one of those roving bands of hooligans pledged to this Queen or that Queen." "We kept mostly to the back roads and traveled quietly." "Then Zaphod has blessed you twice." He glances again at Alexia. "More like thrice. Those ruffians are everywhere. The 'Army of Queen Penelope' they call themselves here. Bought and paid for by Thalyn Burns is what they are." Alexia and I share a look. I can tell she has much she wants to say yet she remains silent, though her jaw is tightly clenched. Her restraint is surprising. "We have not encountered this 'Army of Queen Penelope' of which you speak. Are there many of them?" "Hard to say, Johnathyn. I've heard that they number over 750 but I personally have not seen more than 150 at one time." "Where are they encamped?" "Mostly in and around Plymouth but Burns has a squad or two in every town in the region." "What about New Amsterdam?" "Quite a few. It is second to Plymouth in size, as you well know, so it has the second largest group of men." "All citizens of New Amsterdam?" "Very few. Mostly outsiders." He spat on the ground next to his front left wheel. "Northerners! Disrespectful bastards is what they are. Attacking good men, taking property that tain't theirs. Manhandling woman folk." Alexia's grip on my hand tightens to the point of mild pain as she pulls Leeanna close to her. "What kind of manhandling, Merlin?" I ask. "Every kind you can think of, Johnathyn. If you want my advice, you'll turn around and take your women some place safe, though I'll be jigged if I could name such a place." He pauses and looks around. "How did you get out here? Don't see any team and wagon, not even a couple of horses. You certainly didn't walk all the way from Glory." "No. Ahhh ...we hired a ride but decided to walk the last few leagues. It's such a nice day." He looks at me, the disbelief clear on his face. "Not much baggage with you. Hardly enough for a few days. What kind of bags are those? I've never seen that kind of material" I look at Alexia, who is slyly smiling. She is enjoying my struggles to explain how we came to be standing in the road without any obvious means of transportation and little baggage. "My wife purchased them. What are they, Alexia?" She laughs lightly. "They are the latest thing in Glory, Master Belkin. The bag repels water. Everything stays dry. They are a wonder." Merlin's eyes widen in surprise. "Repels water? They don't appear to be waxed or oiled." "They are not. It is called 'Nylon' with a 'Gortex liner'." "Are they magic?" "Not at all, Master Belkin." She fixes him with a bright, distracting smile and he responds. No man can resist that smile. Merlin slowly shakes his head. "When the troubles settle down, I must visit Glory to see these wonders for myself. My wife is insisting we go." "It is always wise to listen to your Wife," I say. "Aye, the nights are much more pleasant when you do." He jumps down from the wagon. "If you'll lend a hand in watering my team, I'll give ye a ride as far as I can." I remove the bucket hanging from the side of the wagon. "We would be honored to accept your kind offer, Merlin. We are traveling to New Amsterdam for a brief visit. I wish to ensure my home is in good condition before we return to Glory." Merlin stops, reaching out with his right hand and touching my shoulder. "I assumed ye knew, lad. I dislike being the bearer of bad news but your home was taken over by those Penelope Army bastards." "What?!" "It was empty and one of the largest in town, what with the stables and all. It's their new headquarters." "My neighbors promised to care for it while I was abroad!" "They tried, lad, but what could they do? Trust me, if they could be rid of the scoundrels, they would. No one wants to live next to that rucas." "What about my clothes? My bed? Mother's clothes?" Leeanna sobs, tears in her eyes. "Sorry to say, most were tossed out the back door but your neighbors managed to save much of it." Alexia quickly squats down next to her and hugs her across her shoulders, patting her back. "Don't worry, Lee. Your father and I will take care of it." Alexia looks to me for my agreement. There is a fire in her eyes that matches the anger in my chest. "Your mother is correct. We will take care of it." CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT Leeanna and I ride in the back of the lumbering wagon as Johnathyn and his friend sit on the Driver's bench. We're sitting on some scratchy shocks of hay. Leeanna huddled tightly against me, my arm around her shoulder. "Why would they do that, Mother? Why would they take our home?" "Because it's easier than building their own house and it frightens everyone in the village. They think the same thing could happen to them. And they're right, it could." "But why throw our property out into the back yard?" "Same thing, intimidation. Don't worry about it. Your father and I will set things right." "Why were you talking that way to Master Belkins?" "You mean why I was respectful and acted like any other woman?" "Yes." "I did it because he seems like a nice man and a friend of your Father's. How I act reflects on how people think of your father. I didn't give that much thought the last time I was here but it matters to him. As long as we're trying to blend in and find out what's going on around here, I might as well act like the good, dutiful wife. That may not last for long when we get to New Amsterdam." "What happens if they try to hurt us?" "Do you think for a milicycle that I'll let anyone hurt you or your father?" "No," she says uncertainly. "I guess not." "There's no guessing about it. Here." I reach behind me to my backpack, unzip an outer pocket and remove two of the little two-way radios. I hand one to Leeanna. "Keep this with you in your pocket. You know how it works. If we get separated and you get in trouble, buzz me and I'll be there in a flash." That seems to calm her fears a bit. She touches the pocket a few times as we continue in silence. It's probably best if I prepare her for what she may see. "Leeanna, there's a lot of problems in this world." "I know, Mother." "I'm glad that you know that. Unfortunately, some of those problems are my fault." "How could they be your fault?" "Because I left after I ... beat Opulessa. If I had stayed, there wouldn't be all these fake Queens running around and all these men acting like macho idiots trying to take charge." "What are you going to do about it?" "I'm going to put an end to it, show them who the real Queen is, bring everyone back together." "That is good. Everyone should be together." "Yeah, well, they should but it won't be easy. The problem is that there are a couple of ways to do that. One way is to show people that it's in their best interest and all the great things that we can accomplish if we all work together. That'll take a lot of time and some people still won't agree to join us. The other way is faster." "What is the other way, Mother?" "Fear. You do something so horrible, so frightening, that everyone falls in line because they're afraid of you. That's what Opulessa did to stay Queen." "You wouldn't do that, would you?" I might as well tell her the truth because I'd never be able to hide it from her. "To regain control and restore peace, I would. I wouldn't like it but there's really little choice. Every day I don't do something is another day that somewhere a woman is being attacked or a girl like you is being manhandled. I can't let that happen, not when I can do something to stop it and I'm the only one who can. I just wanted to warn you. You may see things that upset you." "Like when you cut those men's heads off." That came to her mind too damn quick. "Yes. They were trying to hurt us so I stopped them. I'll try to use non-lethal means when I can but that may not be possible every time. I'm sorry that you'll have to see this, Leeanna." "You're a good person, Mother. I know you are." "I'm a regular person, Lee. When I was a man in the other world, I did some good things and some bad things." Maybe more bad than good. "I've not always been good over here either. I promise that I will do the best that I can but it may get pretty ugly some times. Just a heads up." "Have you told Father this?" "He knows, Honey. He knows." * * * *** * * * *** * * * Belkin drops us off on the outskirts of town. It was well past midday, the shadows are beginning to lengthen. As we walk into town, I recognize several of my neighbors out and about but they do not acknowledge me as we head towards my home. There are also a number of unfamiliar, armed men loitering about. Alexia has agreed to wear her traveling cloak though it was too warm a day. With the hood up, she will attract less attention from the men, at least until one of them stops us. When that happens, I am afraid the conflict begins. I hope that I can find a partially safe place for Leeanna to hide before the troubles begin. As we approach my shop, It is clear what Merlin said was true. There are several horses tethered out front, the yard littered with broken Klatch bottles. There are two men armed with modern rifles standing guard out front but they do not seem too attentive to their work, as both take occasional drinks from flasks hidden in their jerkins. We duck behind the second house up the street from ours and carefully make our way to the back door of the house belonging to Abraham Collens and his wife, Alycia. They are the neighbors who had promised to care for my property while we were away. Their back door is secluded, hidden from view of the houses on either side of mine. I quietly knock at least four times before the curtain parts and I see Alycia's face light up in recognition. The door opens just wide enough for us to enter and it closes tightly the instant we are all inside. "Johnathyn Tyber!" Alycia exclaims. "Little Leeanna! We were afraid you were dead for sure!" Alycia is a short, plump, white haired woman, always full of energy and opinions she was never reluctant to express. She briefly hugs me and then Leeanna. "Welcome home!" She stops when she turns towards Alexia, who has still not dropped her hood. "And who is this?" she asks, suspicion tingeing her voice. I take Alexia's hand in mine as she pushes the hood off her head. "May I present my wife, Alexia. This is Alycia, the wife of my neighbor, Abraham Collens." Alexia dips slightly, bowing her head. "Zaphod's blessings be upon you and your husband, Alycia Collens. I hope all is well with you both." Alycia smiles and nods her head slightly at Alexia's greeting. It was the perfect greeting from a younger married woman to an older married woman with just the right amount of deference. "Zaphod's blessings upon you and your lovely family, Alexia Tyber," Alycia replies. "Unfortunately, all is not well as you likely saw or you would not have come to the back door." "That we did," I say. "Where is Abraham?" "He left to have a horse shod in Plymouth. 'Queen Penelope's Army' ran off the last blacksmith in town. The one in Plymouth is a friend of Thalyn Burns. He now gets all of the region's business and treats everyone like shit because of it. Abe should be back any decicycle, unless he ran into one of those accursed 'Security Patrols.' Thieving brigands is what they is!" Just then, I hear the bolt in the front door slide open and the door creak loudly as it swings clear of the jamb. "I am home, my dove," a familiar voice declares from the front room. "Sound and safe, for all Zaphod cares." "Hush, Abe. We have company," Alycia answers. "Company? Who would be foolish enough to visit us while those ..." He turns the corner and sees us all in the kitchen. "Well, I'll be blowed! Johnny Tyber!" He slaps my shoulder several times then drops to one knee, throwing his arms open. "There's my little Lee-lee! Come here, pumpkin." Leeanna walks shyly to Abraham. He closes his arms around her and stands up, grunting as he does so. "You've gotten bigger since we last saw you. I won't be able to do this much longer. You'll be a big girl before you know it." "I am a big girl. Mother says so." "Mother? What are you talking about?" Leeanna points towards Alexia. When Abraham catches sight of her, he lets Leeanna slide from his arms, landing lightly on her feet. He bows slightly. "My apologies. If I had known newcomers were present, I would have properly introduced myself." "You old fool," Alycia jests. "This is Johnathyn's young bride, Alexia." "Alexia, you say. Well, it is about time you remarried, Johnny. Our little girl needs a good woman's influence." Alexia dips again. "I do what I can, Master Collens, though I may not be that good a woman." "Nonsense! You're the finest woman I have seen around here for sometime." Alycia coughs loudly. "Except for my lovely wife, of course." He turns to face me. "What are you doing back here, Johnny?" I look up at him. Abraham Collens is one of the few men taller than I though he is much thinner, long arms and legs. Stronger than one would think and more carefree than his wife. They were a great comfort when Leeantha died. "We have come back to take possession of our home and expel these renegades from this area." "Don't be foolish, Johnathyn. It can't be done. Certainly not by yourself. Given time, we might be able raise a group of men to do it but the time tain't right." "We cannot wait, Abraham. The troubles here are the same as across the countryside. We must put a stop to them as quickly as possible and here is as good a place to start as any." "Who is this 'we' you keep speaking of?" "Alexia and I." Alycia is shocked. "How can you think about letting those fiends near a young girl like Alexia? You are her husband, for Zaphod's sake! Those men have killed people! They have," she glances at Leeanna, " mistreated women." Alexia touches Alycia's shoulder. "How have they mistreated women?" "In the worst way possible." "Do you personally know any victims?" "Yes, but why do you want to know?" "Because anyone who has harmed a woman, anyone who has killed someone is going to pay. Now." Abraham shakes his head. "Child, those are noble thoughts but they are simply that. It would take over two hundred men to accomplish what you propose. Two hundred good, tough men." "Should we tell them, Alexia?" I ask. "Anyone who knows is at risk. We could just go over there and clean house." "But they may do something foolish trying to help us and we do need someone to care for Leeanna." "No, Mother! I want to help too!" "Leeanna, your father and I will be perfectly safe but we don't want you to see what we'll have to do. You and I have already talked about this." Abraham grabs me by the shoulders. "This is insanity! Give it up, Johnathyn! It will be your death and the death of your wife. We will not allow you to throw your lives away." "Tell them, Johnathyn," says Alexia. "Let us all sit down?" I ask. We all sit down around the table in the kitchen. "What do you know about the death of Opulessa?" "Know?" asks Alycia. "There is talk but many different stories." "Do the stories agree on anything?" "That Opulessa was killed by an even more powerful witch and she left our world to be ruled by a group of less powerful witches." "And the name of this powerful witch?" "They do not say." "Really? They don't know my name?" Alexia complains. "Your name?" asks Abraham. "We were there, in Glory, in the Palace, when Opulessa died," I tell them. "Alexia, my wife, is the witch who defeated Opulessa." Abraham and Alycia look at her in disbelief. She smiles at them. "It's true. Watch." Suddenly, a small dragon appears in the middle of the table. It is just as described in the stories of old, coal black with glittering scales along its body and leathery wings. It has a long, spiked tail, small, sharp teeth in a short snout and bright red eyes. It stretches its wings as Abraham jumps up from his chair and Alycia gasps. A jet of flame shoots from its mouth, lighting the table cloth on fire. And then it is gone. Leeanna claps her hands in delight as Alexia pats the table cloth with her hand until the flames are extinguished. "Mother! You did it!" "Yes, I did, Leeanna. That, ladies and gentlemen, was an act of pure magic. Something created strictly from my mind that became real. Up to now, I've used magic to manipulate other things. That was the first time I created something out of nothing." "But it was so small," Alycia declares. "It could have been twenty decileagues tall and burned this village to the ground. It's just a question of how much magic it takes to create it. The bigger it is, the more magic it takes. If I had created the big version, I'd have been tapped out for awhile. Has 'Queen Penelope" done anything like that? Has any witch done anything like that?" Abraham drops back into his chair with a thud. "You really are her," he mutters in astonishment. "Queen Alexia, at your service, Master Collens." "How is this possible?" asks Alycia. "It is possible, that is what matters," I tell her. "We are here to begin to right the wrongs that have enveloped this land. It begins here and now. What we need are witnesses and someone to care for Leeanna." "But the Queen always has the Queen's Guard at her beck and call," says Abraham. "Where is your Guard?" "Otherwise occupied right now but Johnathyn should be enough for this group. With a little help from me. Will you take care of Leeanna for us? It should only be for an hour or less." Alycia looks at us, then her husband. "What can we say? We are at the Queen's command." "I didn't order it, Alycia. I asked, mother to mother." Alycia smiles at her. "Then, mother to mother, I will help." "We will help," adds Abraham. "Tell us what you know of the men who live in my home, Abraham." "They are a bad lot, Johnathyn. The leader is called Agmon Boggins. He's an evil goomer. Not that big but a vicious fighter. His lieutenant is Plotkin Olmert, another bad tempered pig-wit. They's seem to be hired for their muscles and not their brains, except for Boggins. He's smart too." I wish Leeanna was not in the room with us. "Has there been much ... abuse of women." Abraham shakes his head. "Aye, there has. Right next door! They get full of Klatch and go hunting for women to ..." he quickly looks at Leeanna before returning his eyes to me "... abuse. They take the young, pretty ones when they can but they tain't particular. It nearly kills me to sit here and listen to it!" Alycia reaches across the table and gently takes his hand. "Many a time I've had to stop him from charging across the yard to confront them hooligans. Can't say I wouldn't enjoy seeing Abraham deliver righteous judgment but there's just too many of them for one man to battle. They'd have killed him." "And then Alycia'd be next." "I'd have taken one or two before they got me." Looking at the old couple, I can see that they were still able to put up a fight but this problem was too big for them. "Anything else you can tell me?" "There's likely forty or so in town. Not that there's any good lads among em' but there's just five or six real bastards in the group. Naturally, they're the ones in charge." I look out his back window. The sun is dropping quickly. If we are to do this today, we need to begin soon. Alexia notices where I am looking and nods her head slightly in agreement. We both stand up. "Thank you, Abraham. You have been most helpful. Once we have gone, you can gather together how ever many good people you can and warn them to be ready." "Ready for what, Johnathyn?" "Ready to take back their town." * * * *** * * * *** * * * We stepped out the front door of the Collens' home, past the low wooden fence that marked the boundary of their property and into the street. Johnathyn had a particularly determined look on his face, his big jaw thrust as far forward as it could go. "So, how do you want to handle this? I could just burn the place down with them in it." He turns his head my way, one eyebrow raised. "Is that intended to be humorous, Alexia?" "Partially. It would solve our problem." "And destroy my home. I do not wish to rebuild." "I really don't see any way this doesn't get messy. For people and property." "There is one way. Personal combat." "What is that?" "I challenge their leader to a fight. Winner take all." "And what exactly does 'all' consist of?" "Do you not have confidence in me?" "It's not a matter of confidence exactly. I just hate to risk everything on one roll of the dice when our best game is Blackjack." "I was following you for a moment but lost you at 'Blackjack.'" "I'm saying we're not playing to our strengths. They've got a lot of guys, some of them pretty big and strong. Not that you aren't bigger and stronger, but someone could get lucky. And you're an honorable man, a man of your word." Not a sneaky bitch like I am. "It just doesn't seem like it's worth the risk if the only thing were protecting is ..." Then it hits me. It is about Johnathyn's honor, his pride, his role as a man in this world. He must protect his home and his family or he's not a man, at least in his eyes. If I go in and clean house, he's less of a man because of it. He has to do this for himself. I can have his back, make sure the playing field stays level, but he needs to do this because this little part of the world is his little part. In his home, he needs to be Lord and Master. Just because shit like that should be anachronistic doesn't make it less true now. Maybe in the future I can do something about that but I can't for the moment. "Okay, we'll do it your way. What's next?" Johnathyn looks around the street and I follow his eyes. There are two new guards in front of the house and at least four others scattered along the street. None of them seem particularly alert. "I believe that the direct approach is always the best," he says as he marches straight toward the guards. I hurry to catch up with him but stay slightly behind him. The guards perk up as we near. The one on the left holds out his hand while the other one brings up his rifle. "What do you want?" the guard demands. "I want you out of my home." Both guards grin evilly. "Who are you, shit foot?" Johnathyn stiffens slightly. "Shit foot" must be an insult of some kind. I'll have to remember that. "Johnathyn Tyber." He points at his house behind them. "That is my home." "Was your house, Johnathyn Tyber," the other guard sneers. "I want to see Agmon Boggins." "He doesn't want to see you. Move off!" "I