Magic InkChapter 28
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Over the next few days, Dad got with Uncle Will and Thomas Stuart to determine how much paper, plates, ink, and other supplies that we used in a year. They went over the business records and then projected future increases based on the increases over the last two years. They were quite surprised at the amount of materials required.
"You say that we have maybe a year or so?" Uncle Will asked.
"Yes, that's our daughters' estimate," Dad answered.
"We can double our regular orders and accumulate a lot of what we need in that time, but?" Uncle Will told him. There always seemed to be a but to things. "But where are we going to store all of it. It will take a lot of space."
"Could we use portable storage containers, like we did when they were working on the building?" Dad asked.
"A lot of this stuff needs to be kept cool," Thomas Stuart stated, "and those kinds of containers aren't noted for that."
"That leaves us with what?" Dad asked.
"Another facility for storage," Uncle Will said unhappily. "Another place to keep the rats out of, both two legged and four legged."
"We can take care of that!" Sean told them with a smile. He and I had been listening. We were at the printing plant helping clean up the presses while the meeting was in progress.
"And it wouldn't need to be here either," I added. "We could have everything delivered here, and then we would move to the storage facility whatever wasn't immediately needed here," I finished.
"Yes, somewhere distant from here might be a good idea. And a facility rented by someone else for our use with the rent and fees paid to them in cash to avoid the Government tracking it back through bank records," Dad suggested.
"That could be a lot of extra work," Uncle Will pointed out.
"A lot less than trying to get paper and other items with the Government after us," Sean told him.
"And we can move some pretty heavy objects when we need to," I added, thinking of the granite blocks we had moved in Colorado.
"Yes, and we should hire some additional agents to set up cash and carry accounts under their names at our various suppliers," Dad added.
"Boston Council?" Sean asked.
"Yes, I believe they might be able to help there with their far-flung connections. I'll visit Master O'Hennessy tomorrow and talk to him," Dad told us, and then added, "Will, go ahead and start ordering those supplies. I'll have the girls start a search for a suitable warehouse." Sean and I went back to work on the presses as the meeting broke up.
On the last day of August, a Tuesday, a courier from the Boston Council came through the portal from the bookstore there. Uncle Will called Dad who in turn called Sean and me. We quickly arrived at the printing plant to discover that the courier was one of the younger members of the Boston Council itself.
"Good day," the courier said, as Sean and I arrived.
"Good day," Sean answered. "What can we do for you?"
"I've brought the list of facilities that you asked for," the courier said. "It took the Council sometime to decide which facilities should be on the list and then what the priorities should be," he told us with a smile.
"Yes, we can imagine that it was a difficult task," I said knowing the way Irishmen loved to haggle.
"We hope there wasn't any bloodshed!" Sean said, but kept the smile off of his face.
"Not much. Chairman O'Hennessy was very prominent in the discussions and ran the meetings with an 'Iron Hand' as it were," the courier told us with a chuckle. Sean and I looked at the list he had delivered. It wasn't all that long, about thirty locations, but they were scattered all over the country. The first six were in or around Boston.
"We'll need guides to most of these locations, and they will need to know who will be allowed access to the facilities," I told him.
"Yes, we anticipated that and have arranged guides who will know what you need. We haven't been able to make the mirror spell work successfully yet, so we are still using the internet and phones, but the messages are kept very cryptic and are usually in 'Old Gaelic'," he told us and gave us the list of numbers to call and the e-mail addresses to use.
"We're still a little busy here. We'll let you know when we can start on the list," I told him before the courier turned to the portal to return to Boston. Sean and I returned home and got out a large road map book and started marking out the cities and towns where the facilities on the list were located.
It wasn't until the third week in September that checks from the first sales of our Mother's assets started arriving. They were delivered to the house by a courier from the brokerage firm that had sold them. There were three checks for just over five million dollars each. The courier and his escort had seemed nervous when they arrived at our front gates, which had opened automatically for them. In our parlor, they had compared the pictures of our Moms and Dad, which they had brought with them, with the actual people present before the courier opened his metal briefcase and handed over the checks which our parents signed for. The courier and his escort appeared a lot calmer when they departed.
"When should we leave for the Bahamas?" Mother Margie asked after they put the checks away. Our sisters had recommended two banks in Nassau, the Bahamas because of that country's strong banking-privacy laws, and its relative nearness to the U.S.
"Will we need to fly the first time?" Mother Katie asked.
"No," I quickly told her. "The Eternal Flame has already given us a location to transfer to. There will be no need for airplanes or even portals."
"What about customs?" Mother Katie asked.
"We have a spell to take care of that," Sean assured her.
"When should we leave then?" Mother Margie asked again.
"Tomorrow is as good a day as any," Dad told us. "We can do all that we need to do in a short time and be back here in time for dinner." So it was agreed.
The morning of Thursday, the 16 of September, we were all up at our usual time and dressed in our good clothes. After a quiet breakfast, we all gathered in the large parlor. Annie, Sara, Sean, and I surrounded our parents and joined hands. Sean called up our destination in his mind and with a word and a sign we vanished.
We reappeared in the Bahamas National Trust Retreat Garden just outside of downtown Nassau. The eleven acre Retreat Garden has the world's largest collection of palm species. It's located on Village Road not far from Queen's College. We appeared among the lush vegetation of the Garden without being seen and took one of the many gravel trails that wander through the Garden to the entrance on Village Road. Once outside, we headed for Queens College to get two taxis, as there were too many of us to fit in one taxi.
Having secured taxis a short time later, we directed them to the downtown branch of the First Caribbean Bank International located on Marathon Road just a block from Robinson Road. It is one of the largest international banks in Nassau. Our parents went in to open an account while we four stayed outside with the taxis. They didn't have any trouble after showing the account executive the two five million dollar checks that they wished to deposit. The man practically fell all over himself to assist them, and they returned about forty-five minutes later. We then directed the taxis to the second bank that they would be using.
The downtown Nassau branch of The Royal Bank of Canada is located on Wilson Way just off of Prince Charles Drive. The Royal Bank of Canada was the first and is the oldest international bank in the Bahamas. It was established there in 1908.
Again our parents went inside while we remained with the cabs. Again there was no trouble after they displayed the five million dollar check that they wished to deposit. The female account executive soon had everything taken care of for them and our parents returned to the cabs.
Since it was only noon time, the cab drivers wanted to take us sightseeing or out to one of the resort hotels on Paradise Island. We, however, were not interested in either sightseeing, or going to one of the mega-resorts like Atlantis, as this was strictly a financial visit. Perhaps at some later time we would return to see what the island had to offer and come in legally through Lynder Pindling International Airport. That is if we still had valid passports.
Instead, we had the drivers return us to the Retreat where we paid them and gave them a generous tip. We also used a spell so that they wouldn't remember what their passengers looked like. We entered the Garden, took the path that we had used previously and vanished from among the lush vegetation to return home. This was but the first of a number of future trips.
We had started on the list from the Boston Council on the 8th of September and managed to do the wards on the six sites in the Boston area before the trip to the Bahamas. None of those facilities had been as complicated as the Council's building had been. We continued to work on the list after the Nassau trip and were always careful to let them know where we would be working next and when. We seldom used either the phone or the internet for this work. We had finished another dozen locations on the list before our birthday rolled around on the 6th of October.
We were sixteen this year. There was a small family gathering in the music room for our birthday. We received a few presents, and there was some singing and later dancing. Our sisters and their husbands left for their homes early, and it was only our parents and us four. I danced with Annie for a long time, and held my sweet girlfriend close even longer.
Later when Annie and I crawled into bed on this birthday night, there wasn't any surprise birthday present. We hugged, kissed, and cuddled for a time before making long, soft, romantic love. We had become very accustomed to each other, and knew exactly what turned the other on.
It's funny what you can become accustomed to. When Annie and Sara first moved in with Sean and me, we couldn't find anything for a couple of weeks. Now we really weren't the 'disaster twins' that our sisters had always accused us of being, but we did tend to leave things lying around in our rooms. Annie and Sara put an immediate stop to that, and always knew where what we were looking for was. Sean and I eventually got used to things being put away, and usually knew where they would be. It all seemed so natural now.
We were close to completing the work on the list from the Boston Council when, on the 20th of October, the Federal Government announced the formation of yet another law enforcement division. That was the day that the 'Federal Bureau of Paranormal Investigation' (FBPI) came into existence. We did not consider it an auspicious occasion, as their designated purpose was to investigate the illegal use of Magic in any form. Of course the Government considered any form of Magic to be illegal. We quickly finished the work on the list for the Boston Council, so we could concentrate on improving our own defensive capabilities both at home and at the destinations of our portals.
In the meantime, our parents and Uncle Will had located and rented a suitable warehouse in Macon, Georgia. Dad drove the four of us up there on Monday, the 25th of October, so we could become familiar with the location. We erected our wards around the building as well as a defensive shell around the entire property, and used an obfuscatory spell to keep the inquisitive away. The defensive shell would only be activated when necessary.
Of course there would be no direct deliveries to this warehouse. All deliveries would be to other locations, and then we would move the products to this warehouse ourselves. We now also had several agents to make purchases of needed printing supplies on a cash and carry basis. It was a bit more expensive than direct purchasing, but was harder to track. Even the utility and tax bills for the warehouse were routed through the agent who had rented it, and he received cash directly from us and not through a bank check or credit card. We had become very secretive in our dealings.
We spent most of November working on creating a second set of wards on the property around each of our houses. We then worked on the property around each of our employees houses. Thanksgiving was on Thursday, the 25th, this year. Our grandparents celebrated with the family of one of their other children this year. Annie, Sara, Sean, and I went to visit Mrs. O'Neill on Wednesday the 24th of November. She was doing all right, but was a little depressed. We invited her to spend Thanksgiving with us. She did, and seemed to have a good time. She seemed a lot better when we returned her home on Sunday the 28th.
Thanksgiving dinner had been held in our Parents' large dining room. The entire family was there, and we even invited the new printers to join us for dinner. Alfred and Cynthia seemed to have really hit it off, and were very chummy. Elysee seemed to be more reserved than the other two, but got along very well with my sisters, whom she worked with much of the time.
The following new characters are introduced in this chapter: Culann McCallister Blacksmith, Jillian’s husband, 6’-0” tall, 180 pounds, 21 years old, black hair, green eyes, handsome, a huge Talent Connor Gallagher Nora and Nola’s Uncle, D & C’s Husband, 5’-10” tall, 170 pounds, 20 years old, long auburn hair, gray eyes, a strong Talent Amelia, Anann, and Duncan returned the next day, Tuesday. When they were informed of the attack on Olive Hill, my Sisters were shocked that they had...
Annie and Sara arrived at the printing plant just after 12:30. Sean and I were just finishing cleaning up the presses, and only needed to use a quick spell to clean ourselves up and be presentable. Annie and Sara were wearing jeans like Sean and I were, but had on heavy blouses and jackets rather than the "Magic Ink" T-shirts that Sean and I were wearing with our sneakers. They had also brought jackets for us. "It's a lot colder in Denver than it is here," Sara told us, as they handed...
Mark resumes the Narrative: The following new characters appear in this chapter and the rest of the story: Clare O'Hara Mark's Wife, 5'-1" tall, 100 pounds +, 34C-21-32, 16 years old, auburn hair, gray eyes, very cute Saoirse Ward Wolf's Wife, 5'-0" tall, less than 100 pounds, 32C-20-32, 15 years old, bright red hair, green eyes, very cute Nora and Nola Twin Sisters, 3'-0" tall, 35 pounds, nearly 4 years old, red hair, green eyes, adorable The following characters reappear...
Carl takes the Narrative: New characters introduced in the next two chapters: Eileen O'Keefe Carl's Wife, Morgan and Donald's Sister, 5'-2" tall, 105 pounds, 34C-22-34, 16 years old, dark auburn hair, blue eyes, a few freckles, very cute Morgan O'Keefe Eileen's Brother, M & M's Husband, 5'-10" tall, 145 pounds, 19 years old, auburn hair, blue eyes Donald O'Keefe Eileen's Brother, C & D's Husband, 5'-9" tall, 140 pounds, 17 years old, auburn hair, gray eyes We...
We didn't get to see Grandfather Michael until well after noontime. We joined him in his private parlor when summoned. "Good afternoon, Grandfather," we both said in greeting after being told to enter. "Well, what do you think of us after spending your first night here, and scaring the staff half to death?" he asked with a grin. "The scaring part wasn't intentional," I told him. "Maybe not on your part," Pat told him in a disgruntled voice. "And just what is the problem?"...
Saint Patrick's Day, the 17th of March, fell on a Wednesday this year, 2032. Sean and I had already helped Dad plow the fields in late February, and we had planted the seeds by the 1st of March, as we were having a warm spring this year. The past three years had seen the last freeze in Mid-March, and it hadn't been conducive to early planting. This afternoon, we were out checking the various fields on foot with Annie and Sara. They were still new to farming, and we wanted them to see the...
New characters appearing in this chapter and the next: Gwyneth O'Leary Doctor, OB/GYN, Irish, 5'-3" tall, 108 pounds, 34B-23-35, 28 years old, long red hair, gray eyes, some freckles Gwyn and Glanda Mike and Gretchen's Daughters, born 6 November 2051, both have dark Auburn hair and gray eyes Sererena and Saraid Pat and Petra's Daughters, born on 6 November 2051, both have red hair and green eyes Early on Monday morning both of our Grandmothers and our Moms came to visit us. We...
Characters introduced in this chapter: The Wizard Master Wizard of Leinster House, a tall older man of indeterminate age with a beard going gray. We were up early the next morning, and dressed for a day touring the city. We didn't wear anything too formal like a suit, or anything too sloppy like ragged jeans. Slacks and sports shirts along with comfortable pairs of athletic walking shoes completed our outfit. We left the backpacks in the room and returned our suits from last night to...
We were awakened early the next morning to the cold gray light of dawn by the Castellan calling to us through the wards across the stairwell entrance. "Master ... Master, you must come out here. Something awful has happened!" As I sat up in bed, my movement disturbed Sunshine, and she sat up also, as the Castellan continued to call to me. "What is wrong?" she asked. "I don't know. I'll have to go and see," I told her, as I pulled on my jeans and reached for my Wizard's...
The following character returns from the original Magic Ink story: Sean Patrick Martin O'Hennessy Senior Master Sorcerer, head of the Boston council, 5'8" tall, a thin old man with a long white beard and hair When we arrived home, it was mid-morning on Friday the 11th of June in Statesboro. Our Moms called our sisters to let them know that we were back. Dad called the printing plant to let Uncle Will Stuart know the same thing. Sean and I didn't have anyone to call. Neither did Annie...
Amelia continues the Narrative: "Are you expecting anyone else?" I asked quietly, as Duncan and Connor cast wards around the room as a precaution. "No! Let me go and see who it is," Captain Billy told us, and started for the hall that led to the rear of the house. Connor created an opening in the ward for him. After several minutes, the Captain returned with another man who appeared very reluctant to be seen here. "Tell them what you told me," the Captain directed, without...
Margie has the Narrative again for a time: My timing was just about perfect, as I arrived in the kitchen just as Grace was ready to leave. “Hi, where are you off to?” I asked, as I appeared. Grace jumped in surprise on hearing my voice and turned to look at me. “Lord! Margie, you scared me out of two years growth,” she told me on recovering. “Sorry, most of those in the Clan can detect when someone is transferring to their location,” I told her. “It’s a skill that you’ll develop over...
The following characters appear in this chapter and later in the story: Carl Michael O’Connell, Were – Siberian Tiger, Margie K’s Father, 6’-3’’ tall, 230 pounds 42 years old, broad shoulders, auburn hair, green eyes Seamus O’Connell, Margie K’s Great Uncle, an Ordained Minister, 5’-10’’ tall, 170 pounds, very old, white hair and a short beard, gray eyes We appeared in the Clan Hall just before 5:45 that afternoon. It had been set up with tables and a serving line. A number of the Clan...
Characters returning from the previous story: Mark Kent O'Connell The children's Father, 5'-9" tall, 165 pounds, 39 years old, brown hair, hazel eyes Mary Kathleen O'Connell (Katie) Mary Margaret O'Connell (Margie) Mark's wives and the children's Mothers, 5'-3" tall, 124 pounds, 36DD-25-37, legally 38 years old (actually 196 years old), long flaming red hair, deep green eyes, a sprinkling of freckles, very cute Edana and Gale O'Connell Margie's daughters, 5'-4" tall, 105...
The following characters appear in the first two chapters: Kennard Curran O'Connell (Ken) Mike and Clare's Son, 5'-10" tall, 142 pounds, 17 years old, red hair, green eyes, dual Talents Kellen Conroy O'Connell (Kell) Pat and Cathleen's Son, 5'-10" tall, 144 pounds, 17 years old, red hair, blue eyes, dual Talents Mark Michael O'Connell Mike and Shannon's Son, 5'-10" tall, 140 pounds, 17 years old, red hair, green eyes Seamus Patrick O'Connell Pat and Sheena's Son,...
Everyone was still excited about the upcoming move to the O'Connell Realm on Tuesday, the 18th of October, when they resumed work at the printing plant. The excitement was soon replaced by shock. On Wednesday morning, the 19th, just before 8:30, as everyone was just getting to work, Uncle Will noticed a black Humvee and several black Suburbans pull up across the street from the plant. The hair on the back of his neck stood up in premonition, and he instantly reacted by reciting the spell...
We returned to Hickory Hill much earlier today than we had yesterday, and took care of our horses ourselves, but allowed the stablemen to take care of the pack horse. After cleaning up, we went to look for Mark and Seamus. Sererena and Gwyn were already here. We finally got everyone together in the den. “What’s so important?” Seamus asked. “There are things that we need to discuss,” I told them. “It couldn’t wait until after dinner?” Gwyn asked. “No, we’re going to need to make an...
The following characters appear in the next few chapters: Aengus Patrick Sean Michael O’Brien “himself”, half owner of the Pub, 5’-10” tall, 86 years old, stoop shouldered, silver gray hair, watery blue eyes Patrick O’Brien Aengus’s youngest son, 5’-10” tall, thin, 52 years old dark blond hair, blue eyes Michael O’Brien Aengus’s grandson, Patrick’s son, 5’-9” tall, thin, 24 years old, brown hair, blue eyes Monday morning dawned bright and sunny. We were up shortly after 6:00, having...
The meal that evening was much more festive than our afternoon snack had been. Everyone wore their best clothes, and there was even music at the meal, which consisted of seven courses and finished with wine and ale. The twins did try some of the ale which was very good, but only a little, and none of the wine. They had learned their lesson. That night the Sisters wanted sex, which was all right with me. Both of them wanted the long, slow, and passionate variety, but separately and with a...
The sun was well up when I awoke the next morning. I was indeed loved. Gretchen was still in my arms, and Clare and Shannon had moved up against me. Clare was pressed against my back, and Shannon was pressed up against her little blond friend. I lay there for a time thinking about what had happened last night. It had indeed been an exceptional night, but I was worried. I had three women in love with me. Somewhere along the line, I had already decided to marry two of them. This, of course,...
Kell and his twins arrived an hour, or so after we had gotten back. He knocked on our door when they got upstairs. They looked tired. "Anything?" I asked, after they were seated on the bed. "A morning's ride, some nice scenery, and time spent at two ancient sites, but no trace of recent Magic use at either of them," he told me. "There were still some traces of ancient Magic at the well. Kell told me that the goddess Airmid was one of the ones that created the healing well, and that...
"Oh Dear!" the Smith groaned in distress at the table. "What is it, my Sweet?" he asked, as he quickly rose to see what was the matter. He never did make it to the bedroom, as his wife led a small boy and girl out into the main room. She was followed by a girl a few years older than the pair of youngsters, and Clare and Cathleen. "Look at them, Henry!" the wife demanded, excitedly. "This morning, they could hardly hold their heads up, and now they are as well as you, or I. How could...
The following new character appears in last few chapters: Makhpia – Luta (Red Cloud) Two Wolves Called Jason, Lakota, Robert's older Brother t, 6'-0'', 200 pounds, 28 years old, jet black hair, gray eyes, a very rugged looking individual and the guardian of the Thunderbird spirit By late on the afternoon of my third day in the wild, I had reached a decision and reviewed it to ensure that all of the necessary points were covered. I was now ready to return to the house and those...
The following new characters make an appearance: Mary Margaret O’Connell (Margie) Katie’s twin Sister, Margie and Robert’s Daughter, Born on the 18 of September 1907, 7 pounds, green eyes, flaming red hair, Siberian Tiger cub Mary Kathleen O’Connell (Katie) Margie’s twin Sister, Margie and Robert’s Daughter, Born on the 18 of September 1907, 7 pounds, green eyes, flaming red hair, baby Dragon Patrick Owen O’Malley O’Connell Grace and Owen’s Son, Born on the 15 of October 1907, 7pounds 8...
Characters returning from Grace and Owen: Grace O’Malley, Heroine, former prostitute, 5’-2’’ tall, 110 pounds, 34D-22-34, 21 years old, alabaster skin, long flaming red hair, bright green eyes, some freckles, very cute, has a large but untrained Talent and little knowledge of Magic Owen O’Connell, Blacksmith, Grace’s lover and soon-to-be Husband, 5’-9’’ tall, 150 pounds, 25 years old, light auburn hair, gray eyes, quite handsome, has a large but untrained Talent and little knowledge of...
The following new character appears in the remainder of the story: Mankato (Blue Earth) Two Wolves Called Robert, Lakota, Crendenor the Dragon, 6'-0'' tall, 185 pounds, 26 years old, black hair with streaks of auburn, gray eyes, quite handsome On transferring into the end of the corridor with the steel plate, I discovered that I was no longer alone. "There she is, kill her before she recovers," someone shouted, and this was instantly followed by a chorus of shots and their bullets...
Final characters introduced in the story: Wolfgang Patrick O'Connell Mike and Gretchen's son, born 7 November 2053, auburn hair, green eyes Carl Michael O'Connell Pat and Petra's son, born 7 November 2053, reddish blond hair, blue eyes While Pat and I had been busy with our Wives and Sons, a bit of a brouhaha had developed at the University. It seems that some of the other Faculty members were jealous of our Parents and Aunts, and their position in what had become one of the...
We had just finished taking our seats and Lady Caoilinn had signaled for the first dish to be served when everything was interrupted by a long, loud, high pitched, agonizing scream that was suddenly cut off. I immediately sent out my Magical senses to determine what had happened. I didn't like what I found. "What on Earth was that?" Lady Caoilinn demanded in the sudden silence that followed the scream being cut off. Captain Sean Og was already on his feet and calling for the guardsmen,...
Seamus continues his Narrative: The following new characters appear in this chapter: Sarah MacKenna, Chandra Duncan's Sister, Seamus's Wife, 5'-2" tall, 100 pounds plus, 34C-20-30, 18 years old, long lustrous black hair, brown eyes, beautiful Duncan MacKenna, Oconostota Chandra's Brother, A & A's Husband, 5'-10" tall, 145 pounds, 16 years old, dark auburn hair, gray eyes, a very handsome young man I transferred Black Bear, the Ranger Lieutenant, and myself back to the...
The following new characters are introduced in the next two chapters: Savannah Collins Shannon's twin, James's Wife, 5'-2" tall, 105 pounds, 34C-22-34, 17 years old, blond hair, gray eyes, very cute Shannon Collins Savannah's twin, James's Wife, 5'-2" tall, 105 pounds, 34C-22-34, 17 years old, blond hair, gray eyes, very cute James's Narrative of his trip to Boston: I went north with Gwyn, Glanda, and their soon-to-be lawyer Husband plus a number of other Representatives to...
I awoke the next morning a very satisfied and rested kitty. I instantly knew that it was morning even with no windows to see out or the fresh air of dawn to sniff. The remains of last night's meal, about twenty pounds of meat, were still there and I wolfed it down in short order before starting to clean my muzzle and whiskers, which I had neglected to do last night due to tiredness. Following cleaning up, some of last night's meal was anxious to depart, and I deposited my cat scat in the...
The following new characters appear in this chapter and the remainder of the story: David Strickland Master Wizard, President of the Council William Rittenhouse Master Wizard, Oldest Member of the Council, builder of the trap James Knox Master Wizard, Member of the Council, Master of Creatures Taylor Peale Master Wizard, Member of the Council, creator of the Magic-stealing creatures Ross King Master Wizard, Member of the Council, in charge of external security Neville...
The following new character appears in the next several chapters: Franklin (Frank) Mahony Master Wizard, Celeste's boyfriend, 5'-9'' tall, 160 pounds, 22 years old, dark auburn hair, gray eyes Frank's Tale: I had heard rumors of creatures down in the tunnels under the headquarters building of the Wizard's Council that stole people's Magic if they ventured into the wrong areas down there. There were also stories of missing Wizards who had vanished trying to eliminate this...
Grace takes over the narrative: Margaret O’Connell and her Husband returned that evening after supper. As promised, she brought the wedding dress and a box of books, but she also brought two lamps with her. “These are Magic Powered lamps, which don’t require fuel or electricity to work. All that you need to do is activate the spell in them with your Talent, and then you can adjust the intensity of the lamp to the level that you require,” she told Owen and me, before demonstrating how to do...
It was just after 4:00 that afternoon when the radio broke the silence. "Attention all O'Connell teams! We have just received word from the Intelligence Corp that the Persians have landed a short distance down river from Frankfurt. Keep a sharp lookout for their arrival. That's all for now," Grandfather Mark finished. Pat and I used the small pair of binoculars that we had been issued to search the area west of the city, but could only make out the top masts of several ships down the...
On arriving at the Hall for the evening meal, we were surprised to see a larger table set up and that several other guests were already there for the meal. The current conversations all stopped when we entered the Hall. "These are my house guests," Lady Feidhelm told the others. "The young man is Master Kellen O'Connell and the young ladies are the Mac Sweeney Sisters, Airmid and Almha, his Apprentices," she finished. "Kellen, these are my guests for the evening meal: Master Murchadh...
We materialized in the Duke's apartment on the second floor of the Manor house. The lamps there ran on Magic and they were lit. There was a fire in the large fireplace, making it much cheerier than the cell that we had just left. Of course the four girls couldn't see any of this, but they could feel the increased warmth. A large sumptuous dinner had been set out on the large table in the dining area here. It appeared that the Duke and Duchess had been interrupted as they prepared to have...
Mark's Narrative Continues: We didn't see Seamus or most of his people for ten days following dinner that night. Meagan and Maureen did appear for dinner a couple of times during that period, and they borrowed Dymphna for a time as Seamus and Carl had taken Dealla and Cessair with them. Having three Mages in the Ohio country put a strain on our one remaining Mage, Coleen, who was rather busy with two locations to take care of. Things on this side of the Ohio River had not slowed down or...
June slipped into July, and we still hadn't found time to return to the Other Reality to visit the girls still there, and to see how they and the Daughters they were carrying were doing. We had planned on returning several times, but every time that we had, something had come up to prevent us from leaving. Aside from the normal work in the fields on the growing crops, and our work in the printing plant, several emergencies had developed to prevent us from leaving. The first was one...
Because of our late start, there was no way that we could make the fifty kilometers to Gray before dark. We passed through the hamlet of Belleauve that afternoon, and had neared Mirebeau-sur-Beze before deciding to stop for the night. We looked for, and found, a wooded area with a pond nearby, at the edge of an open field. Pat and I had unsaddled our riding horses, unhitched the cart team, and removed their harnesses before we took them out to the pond for a drink. The women were preparing...
Monday started a week of discoveries and amazement for our future wives. While Pat and I hit the books, as the old saying goes, on Monday morning, our Sisters and female Cousins took our girlfriends shopping in Statesboro. They went on the small bus that makes regular trips to town several times a day so that our people can shop or run other errands. The first shock was the bus itself. It's one of the small types of buses that can carry 25 or so passengers, like those used by many churches...
Characters introduced in this chapter: Shannon O'Connell (Shan) Sheena's twin, one of Mike's future wives, 5'-4" tall, 104 pounds, 34C-21-30, 15 years old, long flaming red hair, deep green eyes, some freckles, and terribly cute Sheena O'Connell (She) Shannon's twin, one of Pat's future wives, 5'-4" tall, 104 pounds, 34C-21-30, 15 years old, long flaming red hair, deep green eyes, some freckles, and terribly cute Clare O'Toole Cathleen's twin, one of Mike's future wives,...
At home on Monday we all relaxed for a while except for the need to weed the fields and some maintenance on the new Tractor. Sean and I took Annie and Sara out to show them how to weed with Magic. They were surprised that they knew the spell, and at how easy it was to weed the large fields with Magic. Later our Moms took them out and introduced them to the herbal garden and weeding by hand because many of the herbs and other things growing there would be considered weeds by the Magic spell,...
"Shannon, what are you doing?" Savannah demanded, standing in the hall behind us. Shannon's head came up off my chest, and she turned toward her Sister in a more determined way than I had seen before. "It's all right, Savannah. He will take us with him and will marry both of us," she told her Sister. Savannah gasped in surprise. "Really? Both of us? Are you sure?" she asked in a doubtful voice. "I told Shannon that I would marry both of you. I will be glad to have both of you as...
Annie and I spent a troubled night with thoughts of Weres waking us from time to time, as I was sure others in our family did. We had all heard tales about them, but had always assumed that they were just that - tales, and not anything real. We were about to discover if they were real or not. Annie and I were up early for breakfast and were joined by Sean and Sara, who were up equally early. After breakfast there wasn’t anything to do at our houses, so we went over to our parents’ house to...
Mark resumes the Narrative: I didn't have a chance to return to the barracks room until sometime later. I had checked with all of the Platoon Leaders and the remaining leaders of Olive Hill. I had also created the permanent Portal to Hickory Hill to get supplies in here. Wolf came over to me as I entered the room. He had very hesitantly left the girl that he had rescued, who was asleep on one of the bunks. "I'm sorry that I let you down, Mark, but I ... I just couldn't leave Saoirse....
The sun was already up when we rose the next morning. It was dry and fairly warm in our defensive shell, and the fire that the Eternal Flame had left was still burning. While the women started on breakfast, Pat and I fed the horses. "We are going to take the horses for a drink," I told the women, as we prepared to move the horses through the defensive shell and our wards. They didn't like this, and were always skittish when we did it. "Breakfast will be ready in a bit," Shannon called...
The following Monday, the 4th of September, was Labor Day, and on Tuesday, the 5th, we all started back with our home-school studies. Pat and I were now Seniors in high school. Thanks to the work done by the 'Book of Dreams', Shannon and Sheena were now in their Junior year of high school, while Clare and Cathleen had started their Sophomore year. Gretchen and Petra, because of their late start with the 'Book of Dreams' were only on eighth grade work at present, but were advancing rapidly...
It was July before more checks showed up. It was Wednesday, the 13th, to be exact. On Thursday, the 14th, we returned to Nassau to deposit the latest checks and some excess funds from our parents' regular bank account in Georgia. Our parents were maintaining a large reserve of cash on hand in their house now. They had built it up over the last eleven months. This deposit brought them to over 225 million dollars in the two Nassau banks. It would appear that we weren't the only ones moving...
Mankato's (Robert's) awakening: I awoke next to the woman who had rescued me. From the size of the Talent that I could feel and the amount of Magic energy surrounding her, one would assume that she was a woman of large proportions and stature. In fact, the woman next to me was short with large breasts and a slim but very female figure. In her sleep, her breasts rose and fell rhythmically, and I watched them joyfully for a considerable period of time. At last she awoke and sat up. "How...
Characters introduced in the next two chapters: Lady Caoilinn O'Doherty Master Cahir's Wife, the current owner of Glenveagh Castle, 5'-7" tall, 135 pounds, 36B-24-37, 32 years old, dark blond hair, gray eyes Master Cahir Imprisoned the Mac Sweeney sisters, Lady Caoilinn Husband, 5'-7" tall, 175 pounds, 41 years old, Long brown hair and brown eyes Donough Servant, 6'-2" tall, 255 pounds, 27 years old black hair, blue eyes Sean Og O'Doherty Captain of Guards, Lady Caoilinn's...
I was awakened by Sean's voice as he pounded on our bedroom door a couple of weeks later. "Gus, Gus! Wake up!" he was shouting. I sat up and that was when the knowledge hit me. It was like someone had suddenly opened a door and all of the Magical knowledge that I had been absorbing for the last five weeks plus was suddenly right there in my mind - whole and in exacting detail. I just sat there stunned at the magnitude of it all for several seconds. I was brought back to reality by...
I hated to interrupt the Sisters' fun, but it was getting late in the day, and we needed to come to a consensus on what was to be done. "Would you ladies like to leave here with me?" I asked when they took a little break after exploring the room. "Leave?" they both thought in my mind. "Yes, go somewhere else with me." "We had never considered that we could go somewhere else!" Airmid said in surprise. "How would we do that?" Almha asked. "I can use my Magic to transfer us to...
We awoke fairly early the next morning, as the Sisters wanted to see this new castle. I was worried about what Ken had said, and that they would be disappointed. We quickly dressed in our Wizard's robes, but I didn't know if Ken and the O'Hallinan Sisters were up yet. "Ken could still be asleep," I told my women, who were ready to leave for his apartment. "No, they are awake and up," Airmid told me, confidently. "Are you sure?" I asked wondering how she could know that. "Yes, we...
New characters introduced in the next two chapters: Gretchen Servant, Mikes bed mate, 5'-5" tall, 115 pounds, 34B-22-32, 17 years old, long black hair, blue eyes, a sweet but rather plain looking girl "I'll cover the differences first, as they are marked," Grandfather told us after he had finished his meal, and we all had some more of the excellent wine. "They will allow you to understand the similarities better. Also please realize that all of these events have been caused by the...
Margie resumes the Narrative: Romero New York hoodlum, 5’-8’’ tall, 165 pounds, 36 year old, black hair, brown eyes We moved Mr. Franklin’s concrete mixer, a steam powered Ransome 7 batch mixer with an elevating charging hopper attached to the site of the first house on Monday, the 25th of March. Mr. Franklin was concerned as the mixer weighed some 8,000 pounds, but it really wasn’t any challenge for me at all. My Ancestors had moved much heavier loads longer distances with no trouble. I...
Even before the others had started dinner in the cafeteria, the flashing lights and sirens had appeared outside the defensive shell. They had been preceded by, and were followed by, helicopters of various police and news organizations. Those arriving included: the Fairfax County Sheriff's department, the Virginia State Police, the FBI, and others including local radio and television news reporters. There was a multitude of details to be taken care of before our family would be able to join...
Owen continues the Narrative: I spent most of the remainder of the day in the shop with Joe. There was work to do on some items that the local farmers had brought in for repair. Frank joined us to observe later that morning. “I’ve always been interested in blacksmithing, but there wasn’t any opportunity to do it or even to see it done where I used to live,” he told us when we had taken a short break after finishing the work on the first item. “Where did you live?” I asked, curious. “I...