Lord of Blakeley
The series, TIME AFTER TIME, follows a pair of quintessential lovers, Richard and Nicole, through their lives together, in different places, in different times, with different names and faces and sometimes even on other planets. This follows the alternative theory that the relationships we forge in this lifetime, both the good and the bad, are continued into the future, and are rooted deeply in our past. Whatever we do, whomever we love, and the good and evil deeds we do today follow us into the future. Unsettled issues will present themselves again and again, until they are ultimately resolved. Those people who have had a profound effect on us in this lifetime will find us again in the future. And although everything changes, love remains.
Books in the TIME AFTER TIME series are: BLUE LAKE, BELTERRA,The BASLICATO, BENTLEY SQUARE, WAITING FOR RICHARD, LORD OF BLAKELEY, MACKALVEY HOUSE, and WAIT FOR ME. They do not need to be read in order.
Lord of Blakeley is the story of Andrew of Blakeley, a simple farm boy who lives on a primitive future planet. He is chosen by the lovely Lady Aleese to be her mate and rises to become the most powerful man on the planet. But a jealous man with access to mobile transport devices wreaks havoc on the young couple’s happiness, separating them, her on an alien rock planet and he, aboard a slave ship, and then dumping them in present-day Chicago. One day Aleese vanishes into thin air and Andrew is arrested for her murder and must stand trial. It is a story of devotion and jealousy, of loss and lunacy. And, in true Time After Time fashion, a story of love.
Read an excerpt here:
Chapter One
Stolen in the Night
Location: Blakeley Province, Planet of Nord, Year 2075
“I’m going in to get her,” he said calmly and quietly.
“No, Lord Andrew, it’s too dangerous. They’ll kill you, and not right away. If that bastard Samuel Bishop and his men find you before you find her and get back here, you know what they will do to you. You need to re-think this course of action. At least let’s wait until morning. Then Carmine will take a team and go in and get her. You need to stay here. We need you. You shouldn’t go. And you definitely shouldn’t go alone,” Jared warned.
“No. I’m going in after her. Now. Her safety always comes first with me. You know that. I’ll be able to find her, Jared. I know I will. And rescuing mywoman ismyjob. Unlock the transport dock and have a security team stand ready. What were the last signals?”
“Three in, four out.”
“Damn it!” he said holding his head. “How did they manage to get in here with the aperture closed? And nobody saw or heard anything?”
“Well, Ruth said Lady Aleese was called out to help a baby burning up with fever. You were asleep. She didn’t want to wake you.” He shook his head in dismay. Yes, Aleese would go running out to help. And no, she wouldn’t want to wake him.
“Once this link is opened, who knows what evil may come rushing through that eye. Security team in place. Now. I’ll be leaving as soon as possible.”
Jared left to ready the transport dock and alert a security team. He was pushing buttons and flipping switches.
“Carmine, we need a security team to the transport room right now. He’s going in after her. I couldn’t talk him out of it.”
“We’re on our way, Jared. We knew he’d go.”
Within minutes, Andrew, Lord of Blakely strode calmly and confidently into the transport room, followed by security team taking aim at the aperture. Andrew stood inside the transport dock.
“I’ll be back within the hour with Aleese. Stun anyone or anything else comes through this aperture, full stun, and lock them up until I return. I will deal with them personally. Tell no one I have gone,” said Andrew.
“Weapons on maximum stun,” Carmine ordered his team.
“I understand,” said Jared. “When the Lord of Blakeley goes tearing off alone in the middle of the night on a doomed, dangerous, foolhardy mission to rescue his Lady who has been stolen in the night, it promotes fear and panic among their loyal subjects who love both dearly. This is a sad day for Blakeley, Lord Andrew. We could lose the both of you tonight.”
“Enough. Bishop is an animal. She’s terrified of him. I have to go right now.”
“It’s a trap. You know it’s a trap. Bishop is using her as bait. They came sneaking in here and stole her away in the middle of the night just to piss you off.”
“Oh, it worked! And I’m going in. But it’s not me he wants, Jared. He wants her. And now… he’s got her. But not for long.”
“Okay,” sighed Jared. “Good luck. Be careful. Go get her and bring her home. Godspeed.”
“Thank you. Open.”
Hold on, My Sweet Aleese. I’m coming to get you.
Jared opened the aperture and Andrew ran into it. The very next moment a shadowy form shrouded in a grey monk’s robe came rushing out.
“Fire!” ordered Carmine. All weapons fired at the shadowy figure as it fell silently to the ground, gyrating from the multitude of stun gun blasts.
“Oh, damn it! It’s Lady Aleese. Jared, can you call him back?”
“No. He refused to take any kind of communication device, claiming they can track its energy signal. Now what do we do?”
“Well,” said Carmine. “Let’s get Lady Aleese into the Conference Room. Someone needs to check her all over, to make sure she is not hurt or in need of medical attention. Call Celine. She’ll do it. Let’s see if we can start to bring her around. Oh, this is going to take hours.”
****
Andrew ran through to the other side, rolling to the ground. He looked up to find six weapons fixed on him.
“Well, he’s not exactly who we were looking for,” said a soldier, “but I think Commander Bishop will be happy with this package, now won’t he, men?” Andrew heard some laughter. “Come on, Your Lordship, get your scrawny ass moving.”
Andrew’s hands were bound tightly behind his back. He was searched. A rope was tied around his neck. He was led to Commander Samuel Bishop.
“Did you find her? Good, bring her to me,” said Bishop.
“No, Commander. But look what we did find. He’s clean.”
“Well, well, Andrew of Blakeley. What a surprise! You are exactly what I’ve been wishing for.”
“Eh? For me? Why?”
“Because Lady Aleese is not being very cooperative. And I need you to get her to be more, how shall I put it, more agreeable to my request. I think she’ll do anything I ask of her, now that I have you at my mercy. Don’t you agree? So let’s go find her, shall we?”
“I will protect her with my life, Samuel.”
“Andrew, Andrew, Andrew,” laughed Bishop, sitting down, shaking his head. “You’ve been captured. You can’t even protect yourself! You came charging through the aperture alone, with no backup, no weapon, not even a communication device, and evidently no exit strategy. What in the hell did you think was going to happen to you when you got here? Now we’re going to string you up in the middle of the square, like bait and, then, toy with you a little. You can save yourself from some very unnecessary agony by simply calling out to her, Andrew, and getting her to come to me. Or, we can wait until your screams of pain bring her out of hiding. Whichever you prefer.”
“She’s not here. I sent Aleese back through the eye, Samuel. She’s home, safe, back in Blakeley,” Andrew lied, nodding, trying to buy some time.
“Son of a bitch! Neil, check the signal. Did he really send her back through?”
“According to the open link transport residue, Commander, one signal came through to our side, and one went back through to the other side. It was a smaller and cooler signal. Yes. He could have done it.”
Andrew was surprised, but did not show it. Instead he smiled and nodded.
“Damn you, Andrew, that’s nearly impossible. How did you do that? Blakeley doesn’t possess that kind of scientific knowledge or technological ability.”
“Oh, Sam, Blakeley is not the backward little farm community you remember us to be. Since Aleese and I took over, we’ve made major strides in every area. Blakeley is now the seat of power on Nord. We have grown by leaps and bounds. I told you I would do anything to protect my wife, to keep her safe. And I’ve done just what I came here to do, which was to find her and get her back home safely, with no back up troops, no weapons, and no electronic devices. Putting no one else’s life in danger. Just me.”
“String up this cocky son of a bitch! Let me think, Farm-Boy-Turned-Superman. You know, I liked you much better carrying a box of fruit. Can you get a message to her to come back through?”
“No, no communication device, remember? And even if I could reach her, Sam, I would never ask her to come back here.”
“Why didn’t you go back with her?” laughed Samuel. “That’s usuallyhow a rescue works, you know. You’re new at this rescuing the damsel in distress scenario, aren’t you?”
Andrew laughed and nodded.
“Yes, I know that’s how a rescue is supposed to work, but after I sent her back through the eye and I knew she was safe, I wanted to talk to you, man to man. Just what do you want with my wife? There must be a reason you abducted her by dark of night. Tell me what you want with her. What do you want her to do? What can we do, together, to end this futile, ridiculous war?”
“You want to talk peace? By yourself? Unprotected?” Bishop laughed wildly, slapping his hands on his thighs. “You idiot! You dolt! You have got to be the stupidest man on God’s special planet of Nord. You can’t simply walk into mycamp with no weapon, no army, completely unprotected, and expect to be safe. This is war!”
“Your war is with Havenhill and your brother Harold, not the rest of Nord, certainly not Blakeley, and not with me personally. Blakeley only grows food. That’s all we do. We don’t have one political thought among us all. And I am no fan of your brother Harold or his spoiled brat spawn Grant.”
“You know, I can’t for the life of me think of why she would choose youwhen she could have her pick of any man on the planet.”
“Well, I can’t figure that one out either, Sam. I did my best to talk her out of me. I told her openly and honestly that I was nothing special. So did your brother, the Lord of Havenhill. He wanted her to marry Grant.”
“Oh, Grant. I can hardly believe Harold fathered that sniveling little weasel coward. He is a pitiful excuse for a Havenhill. He’s so soft, so smiley, so touchy and feelly. Yes, you agree? Well, don’t you believe it for a moment! He’s a rotten, sneaky, ruthless, manipulative, underhanded, little traitor. You are a naïve and grossly optimistic man, Andrew, but you are not a coward. And you have integrity.
Bring him paper and a pen. Write a note, Andrew, and tell Lady Aleese to return through the eye immediately or you will be killed.”
“No”
“No? No! You will do as you are told,” bellowed Samuel. “You will do it now or I’ll send you back home to her, piece by piece, first an ear, then an arm, then a leg, then your…”
“Oh, yes, that’s sure to make her want to cooperate with you completely, and be all agreeable, as she collects my body parts on the other side. Sam, you don’t understand her at all. She wants peace. She hates fighting and war. She is the most reasonable and understanding person in the world. But you can’t bully her. If you want to sit down and talk to her peaceably on neutral ground, I can arrange it,” he nodded.
Bishop raised his arm to strike Andrew. Andrew stiffened to take the blow silently. Nothing happened. Andrew looked up.
“I’ll think about it,” said Samuel, knowing full well his methods had not worked with her.
“Of course, I will have to be with her, Sam. And I’ll have to be in one piece,” negotiated Andrew.
“Get him the hell away from me. His idealistic, wholesome, optimistic crap makes me want to vomit.”
Celine undressed Aleese, who was lying on the table in the Conference Room. She checked her over carefully while she was unconscious, redressed her in the monk’s robe, and reported back to Jared.
“She has some defensive bruises on her arms, where she shielded herself from attack, and she has rope burns and on her ankles and wrists.”
“No sign of… a personal attack?”
“No. But Andrew will still be livid. Someone struck his precious Aleese. And tied her up, very tightly. He’ll want to kill them.”
“Thank you, Celine. He would appreciate your silence in this matter.”
“Of course. I understand.” She nodded and left.
Hours passed. She began to stir.
“Lady Aleese, can you hear me? Lady Aleese?” asked Jared, shaking her shoulder gently. “Hi there, welcome back from the dark side of the moon. How do you feel?”
“Oh God, Jared, I feel like I’ve been trampled by wild, stampeding stallions,” she said holding her head.
“Close. You were hit with six maximum stun blasts. Lord Andrew told us to blast the hell out of anything that came through the eye. Of course, we had no idea it would be you. You’ve been out cold for hours.”
She rubbed her right temple and tried to shake herself out of the dense brain fog that encompassed her.
“Where’s Drew? Would you please call him for me? I really need him,” she nodded to Jared.
“Ah, Lady Aleese, Lord Andrew is not here. He went in after you. Alone. He’s on the other side. He said he’d be back in an hour.”
“Oh, no! When was that, Jared?”
“Three hours ago.”
“He’s in trouble. Jared, help me to the MedLab.” She slid off the conference table, wobbling.
“Lady Aleese, you’re still very weak. You need to rest.”
“I’ll rest when he is back here with us safely. To the MedLab please, Jared. We need to work on something. And call Carmine, please, and ask him to meet us there.”
“Lady Aleese! What happened?” Carmine came rushing in to her, reaching for her hand.
“I escaped from Samuel Bishop. I heard Andrew call to me, saying he was coming to get me, so I hid and waited by the aperture in a monk’s robe, and as soon as it started to open, I jumped in, looking for Drew, trying to find him before he came out of the eye. But…
“Lady Aleese! You cannot do that. You two could have been permanently fused together. And both killed instantly.”
“Well, it didn’t fuse us, and I couldn’t find him in there at all.”
“Did… did Bishop hurt you, Dear Lady?”
“No, not really. He threatened. He bellowed. He struck me several times when I wouldn’t… cooperate. But, Carmine, Drew’s in big trouble. I’ve got to go back after him.”
“This is crazy. Lord Andrew would want you to stay right here in the safety of Blakeley, where we can protect you until he returns. I’ll go get him. I’ll go through the aperture.”
“No, Carmine. Not safe. They’ll have a team waiting by the eye. As soon as it opens, they’ll grab you, just as I suspect they did Drew. But I have a plan. I need you and Jared, and a medic we can trust… completely.”
“How skilled a medic?” asked Carmine.
“I need an operation.”
“Are you sick? Oh God, if something happens to you while he’s gone, Andrew will kill me.”
“No, Drew will not kill anyone. And no, I am not ill. I need something implanted, something that was given to me this day by a priest who hates Samuel Bishop. A medic, please, Carmine?”
“Karl. Call him, Jared.”
The four assembled in the Lab.
“Dr. Karl, I need you to implant something, right here in my inner left forearm, you will need to stitch it securely into the muscle. Carmine and Jared, you’ll have to hold me down. No chemicals can be in my bloodstream or touch this implant, so I cannot be drugged.”
“What? You want me to do surgery on you with no painkiller? That’s barbaric. Are you out of your mind, Lady Aleese? A pissed off Lord Andrew will kill me.”
“No, Andrew will not kill you. My Andrew is not a killer. And no, I am not daft. But, we must act quickly if we are to save Drew’s life.”
“What on earth am I implanting in you?” asked Karl.
“This,” she pulled out a small metal square from the grey monk’s robe pocket. “It’s a direct transport device. This link bypasses the docks.”
“Good Lord! Where did you get this? Lady Aleese, these are illegal, and for good reason. They are very, very harmful. Every single time you use this, it shortens your lifespan. It puts undue stress on your heart. No, I won’t do it,” said Karl. “Lord Andrew would be furious with me.”
“Karl, if you don’t help me, Lord Andrew will not be furious. He will be dead. And I cannot allow that to happen when I have this device in my possession. I’ll use it to go in and get him, and to come out with him. I’ll only use it twice. Then you can remove it, destroy it, or do whatever you want with it, I don’t care. Karl, Bishop is torturing Drew right now, and then, when those sick, vicious bastards are done, they will kill him. Will you swallow your fears and love of following orders long enough to help me, or do Carmine, Jared, and I have to do this with no medical supervision. Because that is what I intend to do if you refuse to help me! Talk about one pissed off Andrew then.”
“Alcohol. How about whiskey? Can you drink whiskey?” asked Carmine.
“No. I have to have my wits about me to be able to go back and find him and get him out of there without anybody seeing us. Just do it, please. Please! I’m begging you.”
“This is going to leave a big scar,” said Karl
“I don’t care about a scar. I care about Drew.”
“This is going to hurt like hell.”
“I know. Just do it.”
“Well, can we knock you out after the surgery?”
“Karl! As soon as you’re done stitching it securely into the muscle, I’m going back in to get Drew.”
“God, this is a nightmare. You going to bleed all over the place.”
“Yes, I know, especially when I have to press it to get us back here. But as soon as I get back here with him, you can do whatever you have to do. Karl! Now! Please! While we’re having this heated discussion about my health and MY pain, Drew’s being… tortured. I cannot bear the thought, it’s making me crazy,” she sobbed.
“All right, all right. I’ll need a surgical assistant. I’d like Ben.”
“Okay. You prepare for the surgery. Jared, go get Ben,” ordered Carmine. “Lady Aleese, can you do this? It’s going to be really rough!”
“I know. But it’s the only way I can think of to get him back here before it’s too late. I feel responsible. Drew went charging in there to save me, knowing how much I fear Samuel, the Bishop of Havenhill. He gave no thought to his own safety. I must do this. I’ll be okay, Carmine. Really.”
“I’ll hold on to you as tight as I can,” said Carmine. Aleese nodded.
Ben came in and Carmine and Karl talked to him, huddled in the corner. He nodded. Once they began, they worked very quickly and efficiently and it only took a short time. Karl wrapped her left arm securely.
“Okay,” she gulped hard and struggled to breathe. “Wait right here. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back with Drew and he will need medical attention. Prepare for him. Have everything ready to treat his wounds and ease his pain.” She stood up and breathed hard.
“Godspeed and Good Luck, Lady Aleese.”
“Thank you. I will bring him home,” she said pushing the button. “I will not fail him,” her voice trailed after her as she disappeared.
Location: Bishop Camp, Far Side of Nord’s Moon
She reappeared on the other side of the moon, hanging on to the side of a supply barn near the square, panting hard. She took a quick moment to compose herself. It was very dark, but she sensed he was near. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw his tall, thin body tied to a wooden structure in the middle of the camp. She looked around and saw no one. She ran to him. She hugged him very gently and kissed his neck. She heard him moan. She started to cry. She stroked his head.
“Drew? Drew? What have they done to you, My Darling? Those bastards. Can you hear me?” she whispered.
He opened his eyes and gave her a little smile.
“Aleese? What… are you doing here, Love? You need to get out of here. Run. Please. Hide. Now. They think… you went through the eye. But you’re still very much in danger.”
She made no move to run or hide. She gently stroked his head and tried to soothe him. “It’ll be okay, Drew. You’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it,” she sobbed. “Hang on, honey.”
“Don’t cry. I’m okay,” he said.
“No. You’re not.”
“Aleese, am I… dead?”
“No. And I’m hoping we can avoid that for a good while longer.”
“Then… I’m okay.”
“I DID go through the eye, Drew. But I came back. To get you. Honey, can you stand up on your own?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “I thought I’d… never get to see you… again.”
“Do you think you can walk?”
“Yes, I think so. Far?”
“No, Sweetheart. Not far.”
“Right now, with… you here with me, I think… I can fly!”
“Close, very close,“ she smiled. “Now, listen to me carefully. As soon as you feel the ropes release you, I want you to hold on to me as tightly as you can, okay?” He nodded.
“Oh, I can do that. Where are we going?”
“Home, My Love. We’re going home. Hold on to me, Drew.” She reached around his waist, holding him as tightly as she could, and buried her head in his chest. She pushed the direct transport link in her arm and let out a painful cry and as they both disappeared from the middle of the camp, she felt his arms reach around her snugly.
Location: Blakely Province, MedLab
They reappeared in a lump on the floor of the Lab back home.
“What… just happened? Jared! Carmine! I thought I just heard Aleese cry out,” a confused, breathless Andrew said. “One minute… I was strung up… in the middle of camp… in the dark… in agony, thinking… death was near, and then… my sweet Aleese… appeared out of nowhere, and… she hugged me and I heard her voice. I thought I was dreaming. And the next thing I know… here we are on the floor. Aleese, My Darling, I was so … Aleese? Aleese?”
Lady Aleese was unconscious on the floor, her left arm bleeding heavily.
“Oh, no. She’s been shot. The bastards shot her. When did that happen? I didn’t hear a shot fired. Oh, she’s so pale. Dr. Karl, do something.” Carmine and Jared picked her up and put her on the table and Dr. Karl got right to work.
Andrew stood up, put on the shirt Jared handed him, went outside, and alerted a security team.
“Take as many men as you need,” he ordered angrily. “Dismantle the transport console. Divide it randomly in half. Bring me the key cylinder. I’ll be in the MedLab. Put the rest of it in crates and store it away in the underground tunnels in two separate locations. Then bury the damn transport dock. And do it right now.”
“But, Sir, that will strand them all on the far side of the moon permanently.” said Jacob.
“Yes, I know. Do it.”
“Lord Andrew, what happened?”
“I put up with whatever Bishop did to me, Jacob, in the name of peace, hoping for peace, working toward peace, to reunite our people, but they shot Lady Aleese, a kind, sweet, gentle woman who has never harmed a soul in her life. Gunshot wound to her arm. She ‘s very weak, very pale, and lost much blood, but she will survive. They, however, will not. I am cutting off their only way back from the dark side of the moon. Bury the transport dock deep in the ground. And those damn savages with it. Now!”
Andrew went back into the Lab.
“How is she? Did you remove the bullet?”
“No, Lord Andrew, she has not been shot. It’s an illegal direct transport device implanted in her arm that’s bleeding. She used it to get you out of there before Bishop killed you. And I need to remove it right now.”
“Yes, Dr. Karl, go. Remove it. Will she… be okay?”
“She’s lost a lot of blood. Lord, I must get to it.”
“Yes, yes. Do it.”
“Ben, make sure this brave soul feels no more pain,” said Dr. Karl. “Jared, I’ll need a jar with preservative to soak and store this implant. Carmine, cover her. She’s so cold. Lord Andrew, come here and hold her other hand. Having you here with her will give her strength. And Andrew, talk to her. Most of all, she needs to know you are safe. She needs to hear your voice.”
Andrew pulled a chair over next to her and held her hand. He noticed the bruises on her arms and the rope burns around her wrists. He lightly stroked her arm, shaking his head, blinking back tears.
“Aleese, I… you’re going to be fine, just fine. Can you hear me, Sweetheart? Everything will be okay. We’re back home, we are both safe, and we’re in the MedLab. Dr. Karl is working on you right now, I… I can’t begin to tell you… how horrible I feel that you are hurt, especially knowing that you were hurt rescuing me. I wish… I wish with all my heart and soul that I was the one lying on that table, in pain and bleeding, instead of you. Please, Sweetheart, just relax and know that we are taking care of you, and you will be fine. I love you, and I will take care of everything. All you have to do is just breathe, and relax. Dr. Karl is almost finished and then, you’re going to sleep for a little bit. I am going to stay right here with you, My Lady, and hold on to you so that you’ll know you’re safe. And when you wake up, you’re going to feel so much better. And I promise you, no one will ever sneak in here and steal you away again.”
Soon Karl was finished. The implant was safely stored away. Karl sewed up her inner forearm and Aleese was sleeping comfortably.
“Okay, Lord Andrew, you are next,” said Karl.
“No, Karl, I’m okay.”
“Lord Andrew, please. She did all this… for you. Come here. When she comes around, she’ll want to know from me that you have been given the best medical attention possible. Now, please, remove that shirt before it dries in your wounds.”
Andrew gave in and let Dr. Karl take care of him.
“Pain shot?”
“No, thank you. I want to be awake and coherent for her. I’m okay. Karl, she’s bruised, and has been tied up, how in the hell did this happen? How did they manage to sneak in here and grab her?”
“We don’t know for sure,” said Carmine. “Ruth said a man came to the front door of the Manor House to ask for help with a sick baby with a very high fever. Ruth told Lady Aleese and she went. She told Ruth that you were sound asleep and she didn’t want to wake you. We’ll have to ask Lady Aleese what happened when she wakes up. Uh, Andrew, I have to tell you something else. Remember you told me to maximum stun anything that came through the aperture? Well, I…”
“Please, Lord Andrew. Can we wait and have this discussion when we are all not so exhausted?” begged Karl.
“No. Now. And what absolute dimwit allowed Aleese to do this?”
“No one. She was going to do it on her own, Lord Andrew. She was coming after you, with or without any help from us,” said Carmine.
“I know every inch of my beautiful wife. Since when does she have a direct transport link surgically implanted in her arm?”
“Since about fifteen minutes ago. As soon as I was done putting it in, she pushed the link and went back in to get you. That’s why it was bleeding all over the place. She gave it no time to heal.”
“When did she get back here?”
“Er, about five seconds after you went through the eye. You two were in the there at the same time. She was trying to reach you inside the transport tunnel to stop you. Impossible, I know! But Lady Aleese seems to do the impossible quite often,” said Carmine, with admiration, nodding. “Lord Andrew, I have to tell you something. Remember you said to blast the hell out of anything that came through the portal? Well. Lady Aleese got…”
“And where did she get this illegal link to begin with?”
“She said someone, a priest who hates Bishop, gave it to her. She came back wearing a monk’s robe and nothing else. That’s all we know,” said Carmine.
“Carmine, how could you let her do this? Direct transport links have been outlawed for years, and for good reason.”
“Lord Andrew, she gave me no choice, the way she gave Dr. Karl no choice. Lady Aleese was doing this, with us, or without us. Your woman does not take no for an answer, especially when your life or your safety is at stake.”
Andrew sighed. He knew that was true, but it didn’t make seeing her suffer any easier for him to bear.
“Get rid of the damn direct transport link. Destroy it. Now. And speak of this to no one. We’re burying the transport dock right now. This war ends now. We’re burying the damn dock and all the Bishopites with it. It’s over. I had hoped for a peaceful settlement. I tried. But I will not allow them to sneak in and steal her away from me again. I will not sit back and let Aleese be harmed in the name of peace. And I will not let her live in fear that this might possibly happen to her again.”
He remembered his future vision he had of a naked Aleese, unconscious, tied up, with Bishop standing in front of her, standing over her. He couldn’t let it happen. He would stop it any way he could. And burying the transport dock would do it.
“Lord Andrew, you need to rest now. She’ll be awake soon, and she will need you.”
“Yes, Dr. Karl. I’ll rest here until I hear her stir. I want to be with her when she wakes up. Thank you very much.”
“Lord Andrew, I’ll post guards at the door. You will be undisturbed. Call if you need us,” said Carmine. And Carmine and Karl left them alone.
He crawled up next to her on the table, held her in his arms, and fell asleep.
Location: Bishop Camp, Far side of Nord’s Moon
“Commander Bishop! Andrew Blakeley is, um, … gone.”
“Gone? Dead? He’s dead? Oh, damn it to hell! I had such plans for him. And I really did expect her to charge in here to try to save him.”
“Um, no, Commander, not dead. Gone. Gone, as in just vanished, missing.”
“Missing? The son of a bitch was very securely trussed up in the middle of our camp, half dead, maybe three quarters dead when we finally got too tired to continue and went to sleep. Even if he managed to get himself down, how I don’t know, he had to pass us to get to the transport dock, which was securely locked. And, if he was able to get it unlocked, he couldn’t run the console and transport himself out all by himself. And he didn’t just wander off looking for a drinking fountain. Find him. There has to be a blood trail.”
“No. No blood trail. I looked. And… the ropes were not cut. He just vanished.”
“Any transport residue signal?”
“No, Commander.”
“Then, that means he’s still here. He’s hiding. He can’t be strong enough to have gotten far. Sound the alarm and search for him. Use the dogs.”
“Hmmm,” Bishop said to no one in particular, “maybe there is more to this dumb farm boy turn Lord of Blakeley and mate of the magnificent Golden Lady than I had originally thought. Maybe she saw something in him the rest of them missed, something quite remarkable.”
Scouting teams with dogs searched a five-mile radius of the dark side of the moon. Andrew, Lord of Blakeley was nowhere to be found.
Location: MedLab, Blakeley Province, Planet Nord
In the MedLab, Aleese began screaming, “Drew! Drew!”
”I’m right here, Sweetheart. You’re home safe, with me. Everything’s all right. Calm down. Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes, I’m okay.”
“Now, I saw the bruises and the rope burns. Can you tell me what happened to you?”
“He struck me when I wouldn’t do as he wished. And, after a few times, he had me bound and thrown in a dark dirt hole under the floorboards ‘to think.’ Blackness. No air. And then…”
“I’ll kill the bastard. I’ll go back in there and kill him right now.” He held on to her securely.
“No,” she shook her head. “We are home safe. Let’s stay that way. But you, what did the bastard do to you?”
Andrew drew her close, kissed her forehead, and whispered to her.
“It’s okay, My Love. I’m okay and you’re safe, right here in my arms. It’s over. And I mean it. It is over. The war is over. I ended it. I ordered the transport dock buried and the control console dismantled and stored away, effectively blowing up their only road into town. The Bishopites cannot use the aperture to steal you away from me ever again. You are safe.”
“Drew, I know he hurt you. I had my arms around you in the middle of the camp. I felt your pain. I heard you moan. I can help you; I can help your wounds heal. Call Carmine.”
“No. You are too weak. I’ll be okay. You must regain your strength. I’m okay. Really. Believe me, this is not the first vicious beating I’ve endured. Your friend and mentor, the great Lord Harold of Havenhill, has an equally savage streak.”
“That’s no surprise, they are brothers. Drew, please, let me help you. I can. Come on, honey. Show me.”
“No. Dr. Karl patched me up. I’m okay.”
“No, no, don’t fight me, Drew. Show me.” He sighed and gave in, slowly taking off his shirt and turned away from her.
“This will never heal correctly. The scars will be horrible. Call Dr. Karl and Carmine.”
“Carmine is right outside the door. But, Aleese, I’m okay. Really, I am.”
“Carmine,” she called as she opened the door, “I need Dr. Karl. I need first aid supplies and very small brush, and some glue.”
“Glue? Like wheat paste?”
“No, no, wheat paste won’t work. What do you use to glue the labels on the fruit crates?”
“Pectin gel.”
“Okay, pectin gel.”
Supplies were brought to the Lab in minutes. She positioned Andrew leaning over the back of the chair, putting warm compresses on his back to help remove the adhesive tape.
“I know this is uncomfortable, Drew. I will work as quickly as I can, getting off this sticky tape and dried blood. Then we’ll put antiseptic on. There will be some stinging. I’m sorry, honey.”
Andrew nodded.
“I don’t understand. What did I do wrong? This is how we treat big cuts of this size,” said Dr. Karl.
“This way will leave terrible scars, Karl. My way will leave no scars.”
“No scars? Impossible! You’ve got to be kidding!”
“No. Watch.” They worked quickly removing the sticky residue and bloody bandages and gently washing off the dried blood. She used a small brush to apply the antiseptic inside the wounds. Then she used the pectin gel to very gently glue the edges of his skin together. It was time consuming and exacting work.
“Drew, are you okay?”
“Yes, Aleese, I’m fine.”
“That’s never going to hold,” Karl said shaking his head. “Even if he stays perfectly still for the next twenty-four hours, which you know he will not.
“Come to the Manor House and take a look at him tomorrow, Karl. You’ll be surprised.
Okay, boys, thank you for all your help. You are wonderful. Now, I would like some private time with my very brave, very smart husband. Go now, please.”
They left. Andrew started to move.
“No, not you. Youstay still.”
“Me? Wait a minute! What happened to some private time alone with your very brave, very smart husband?”
“Give me a minute to finish this up here, then we’ll have some greatprivate alone time. Now, stay still. You know the white beam of light that appears when we make love?”
“Yes, of course I do. How could I ever forget it?”
“Well, this will be a smaller version of that. I want you to close your eyes and breathe deeply and try to be very still. This will not hurt you. You will feel heat, but the heat will not burn you. I promise you are safe.”
“I trust you.”
She started very gently moving her hands over his back, almost touching him. He felt the heat.
“Drew, are you okay?” He didn’t speak, but nodded slightly. She finished as quickly as she could, then she focused on her inner arm.
“All right. Shirt on, here,” she helped him put a clean white shirt on and button it. “Now, let’s go home, and if you feel like it, I’ll appreciate my brave, smart husband in private.”
“Oh, I’ll feel like it,” he laughed. “And that was verybrave, very smart husband, by the way. Come on, let’s go home.”
Chapter Two
How It All Began
Location: Blakeley Province, Year 2073, Planet Nord
The woman of Blakeley spent days cleaning and airing out the Manor House and preparing food for her arrival. The men checked the solar cells and hooked up the solar and wind power to the building and the lighting to all the rooms. Water service was restored. There was cooking and baking and decorating, the likes had not been seen in ten years. The big house had remained empty since the last Blakeley Lord had died in battle ten years ago and his wife, Lady Blakeley died six months later, some say of a broken heart. The day of Lady Aleese’s arrival, the children gathered wildflowers. And all the eligible, interested bachelors of Blakeley, which was all of them, were lined up in front of the Manor House in a giant semi-circle as the Havenhill Party rode into the village in beautiful ornate carriages pulled by white stallions decorated with ribbons and pink roses.
The children sang songs as the beautiful Aleese, in a simple cream satin dress emerged from the carriage and waved to them.
“Oh, look at them! They are so sweet.”
“They’re not sweet. They’re dirty little ragamuffins with no self-control,” snorted Lord Havenhill.
Aleese laughed. “Will you please relax and try not to be so… grumpy.”
“Grumpy? I’m not grumpy. I just… don’t want to be here.”
“And it shows. Why don’t you go in the Manor House and find somebody to fuss over you and bring you a cup of tea and maybe a cookie.”
“Okay. I will. This gangly lot is all that Blakeley Province has to offer you, Aleese. Some are strong, a few are smart, and one or two might even be considered handsome in a farm boyish kind of way, but honestly, my child, there is not a Blakeley man that is all three. Of all the men on Nord, these Blakeley males are the most ill suited to take on the role of leadership. They’re dirt-diggers who only understand a good thrashing. Are you absolutely SURE you want a Blakeley man? The men from Portmist are much larger and much stronger. Langley men are pleasant and very quiet. The men from Comerton are handsome and, although not very smart, are bred to please. The men from New Quark are scientific and very precise. And Havenhill men, as you well know, are natural leaders, brilliant, and very charming and would be able to appreciate a woman of your quality and distinction. I had really hoped you would agree to take Grant as your mate and become the Lady of Havenhill one day. He is a natural-born leader, you know.”
“Oh, I am sure you did. And, yes, Grant is a fine man. He will be a great Nordon leader one day. And he will always hold a very special place in my heart.”
“You know he loves you. I know he can be stubborn. I’ve tried my best to stomp that out of him, but his mother coddles him. But you know Grant cares for you a great deal. He would take excellent care of you and protect you.”
“Of course, I know that. But I seek more than just care and protection. Lord Harold, I want love, pure blissful love, the kind that races the heart and raises the spirit; the kind you can feel coursing through your veins. I am drawn here to Blakeley, Lord Havenhill. I believe the man I seek is here in this beautiful province. I have seen him in my dreams. Hedraws me to him. And I will know him when I see his warm, sweet eyes, when I hear his wonderful voice, when I touch him and feel the spark. I know it.”
“Oh, child, I’m not sure that kind of love even exists anymore. That was love a long, long time ago, before the big wars, before we became so jaded with all these laborsaving devices, scientific discoveries, and space travel. I remember it, a man and a woman in love. Nothing else mattered,” he sighed and looked off into the distance, remembering something, someone from his distant past.
“Well, here they are, the whole rangy lot of them. I cannot imagine a man from Blakeley leading us to peace, stopping the war, or neutralizing damn, crazy Samuel, the Bishop, let alone being the love of your life, your mate, as the prophecy has foretold. But if you wish to examine this sorry lot, one by one, then I shall help you in any way I can. I remember the promise I made to your father, to trust your judgment.”
“Thank you, Lord Havenhill. You are very kind… and brilliant and charming,” she laughed.
****
Andrew and Carmine walked up from the fields together, hearing the call to come to the village square.
“What’s going on?” asked Carmine.
“They’re calling for all single men to come to the village square immediately,” said Jared.
“Why?” asked Carmine, getting in line.
“It seems the fair and lovely Golden Lady Aleese has turned twenty years old and was told by her guardian Lord Havenhill to pick a mate or have one chosen for her. She has had a future vision of her mate, and she believes him to be a Blakeley man. She has come here to find him with the intention of marrying him, which would then make him, get this, the new Lord of Blakeley,” said Jared.
“No kidding! You have got to be joking,” Andrew said, amazed at the prospect. “This can’t be real!”
“Why? Because you think there is not a man among us who is worthy of her? You think that there is not a man in our whole province that is brave enough, strong enough, smart enough, and handsome enough to catch the eye of lovely Lady Aleese?”
“No. I don’t just think it. I know it. I am sure of it,” Andrew nodded. “She is like no other woman I have ever seen.”
“You’ve been crazy about her for years, since the day you saw her at the Library. You stood there and listened to her talk and then followed her around for hours and hours, with this really dumb smile on your face.”
“Yes, I remember,” he laughed. “I was amazed by her. Enthralled. I’d never seen anything like her before in my life. Actually I saw her first at the hospital in Portmist, talking to the patients, easing their pain, soothing their worries, and talking to the doctors, listening to their concerns. And, yes, I went especially to hear her speak at the Grand Library in New Quark and I spent the whole day following her around, watching her, listening to her, trying to catch her eye. She is truly outstanding, mesmerizing. She is so much more than beautiful. She’s very intelligent, concerned about others, and funny, and so very sweet. She has this intuitive sense. I tried to get close enough to her just to say hello and tell her I thought she was wonderful, but I couldn’t get anywhere near her. Once I called out to her and she turned toward me, but tons of Havenhill guards descended upon me and dragged me out and beat me off. Grant Havenhill’s doing, I presume. He doesn’t want any other man anywhere near her. She deserves so much more than Grant Havenhill. Or the sorry likes of one of us! She deserves some big, strong, handsome, smart, brave hero, someone who will make her happy. And I don’t think there’s a man among us who could figure a way out of this damn futile war and lead our world to peace. We are not fighters or men of deep thought. We’re nothing more than simple farmers,” said Andrew, taking his place at the very end of the line. “So, how exactly does this interview process work?”
“So… after all that, you’re in?” laughed Carmine.
“Oh, absolutely, I’m in. But do you think I have time to go home and change my shirt?” They all laughed.
Books in the TIME AFTER TIME series are: BLUE LAKE, BELTERRA,The BASLICATO, BENTLEY SQUARE, WAITING FOR RICHARD, LORD OF BLAKELEY, MACKALVEY HOUSE, and WAIT FOR ME. They do not need to be read in order.
Lord of Blakeley is the story of Andrew of Blakeley, a simple farm boy who lives on a primitive future planet. He is chosen by the lovely Lady Aleese to be her mate and rises to become the most powerful man on the planet. But a jealous man with access to mobile transport devices wreaks havoc on the young couple’s happiness, separating them, her on an alien rock planet and he, aboard a slave ship, and then dumping them in present-day Chicago. One day Aleese vanishes into thin air and Andrew is arrested for her murder and must stand trial. It is a story of devotion and jealousy, of loss and lunacy. And, in true Time After Time fashion, a story of love.
Read an excerpt here:
Chapter One
Stolen in the Night
Location: Blakeley Province, Planet of Nord, Year 2075
“I’m going in to get her,” he said calmly and quietly.
“No, Lord Andrew, it’s too dangerous. They’ll kill you, and not right away. If that bastard Samuel Bishop and his men find you before you find her and get back here, you know what they will do to you. You need to re-think this course of action. At least let’s wait until morning. Then Carmine will take a team and go in and get her. You need to stay here. We need you. You shouldn’t go. And you definitely shouldn’t go alone,” Jared warned.
“No. I’m going in after her. Now. Her safety always comes first with me. You know that. I’ll be able to find her, Jared. I know I will. And rescuing mywoman ismyjob. Unlock the transport dock and have a security team stand ready. What were the last signals?”
“Three in, four out.”
“Damn it!” he said holding his head. “How did they manage to get in here with the aperture closed? And nobody saw or heard anything?”
“Well, Ruth said Lady Aleese was called out to help a baby burning up with fever. You were asleep. She didn’t want to wake you.” He shook his head in dismay. Yes, Aleese would go running out to help. And no, she wouldn’t want to wake him.
“Once this link is opened, who knows what evil may come rushing through that eye. Security team in place. Now. I’ll be leaving as soon as possible.”
Jared left to ready the transport dock and alert a security team. He was pushing buttons and flipping switches.
“Carmine, we need a security team to the transport room right now. He’s going in after her. I couldn’t talk him out of it.”
“We’re on our way, Jared. We knew he’d go.”
Within minutes, Andrew, Lord of Blakely strode calmly and confidently into the transport room, followed by security team taking aim at the aperture. Andrew stood inside the transport dock.
“I’ll be back within the hour with Aleese. Stun anyone or anything else comes through this aperture, full stun, and lock them up until I return. I will deal with them personally. Tell no one I have gone,” said Andrew.
“Weapons on maximum stun,” Carmine ordered his team.
“I understand,” said Jared. “When the Lord of Blakeley goes tearing off alone in the middle of the night on a doomed, dangerous, foolhardy mission to rescue his Lady who has been stolen in the night, it promotes fear and panic among their loyal subjects who love both dearly. This is a sad day for Blakeley, Lord Andrew. We could lose the both of you tonight.”
“Enough. Bishop is an animal. She’s terrified of him. I have to go right now.”
“It’s a trap. You know it’s a trap. Bishop is using her as bait. They came sneaking in here and stole her away in the middle of the night just to piss you off.”
“Oh, it worked! And I’m going in. But it’s not me he wants, Jared. He wants her. And now… he’s got her. But not for long.”
“Okay,” sighed Jared. “Good luck. Be careful. Go get her and bring her home. Godspeed.”
“Thank you. Open.”
Hold on, My Sweet Aleese. I’m coming to get you.
Jared opened the aperture and Andrew ran into it. The very next moment a shadowy form shrouded in a grey monk’s robe came rushing out.
“Fire!” ordered Carmine. All weapons fired at the shadowy figure as it fell silently to the ground, gyrating from the multitude of stun gun blasts.
“Oh, damn it! It’s Lady Aleese. Jared, can you call him back?”
“No. He refused to take any kind of communication device, claiming they can track its energy signal. Now what do we do?”
“Well,” said Carmine. “Let’s get Lady Aleese into the Conference Room. Someone needs to check her all over, to make sure she is not hurt or in need of medical attention. Call Celine. She’ll do it. Let’s see if we can start to bring her around. Oh, this is going to take hours.”
****
Andrew ran through to the other side, rolling to the ground. He looked up to find six weapons fixed on him.
“Well, he’s not exactly who we were looking for,” said a soldier, “but I think Commander Bishop will be happy with this package, now won’t he, men?” Andrew heard some laughter. “Come on, Your Lordship, get your scrawny ass moving.”
Andrew’s hands were bound tightly behind his back. He was searched. A rope was tied around his neck. He was led to Commander Samuel Bishop.
“Did you find her? Good, bring her to me,” said Bishop.
“No, Commander. But look what we did find. He’s clean.”
“Well, well, Andrew of Blakeley. What a surprise! You are exactly what I’ve been wishing for.”
“Eh? For me? Why?”
“Because Lady Aleese is not being very cooperative. And I need you to get her to be more, how shall I put it, more agreeable to my request. I think she’ll do anything I ask of her, now that I have you at my mercy. Don’t you agree? So let’s go find her, shall we?”
“I will protect her with my life, Samuel.”
“Andrew, Andrew, Andrew,” laughed Bishop, sitting down, shaking his head. “You’ve been captured. You can’t even protect yourself! You came charging through the aperture alone, with no backup, no weapon, not even a communication device, and evidently no exit strategy. What in the hell did you think was going to happen to you when you got here? Now we’re going to string you up in the middle of the square, like bait and, then, toy with you a little. You can save yourself from some very unnecessary agony by simply calling out to her, Andrew, and getting her to come to me. Or, we can wait until your screams of pain bring her out of hiding. Whichever you prefer.”
“She’s not here. I sent Aleese back through the eye, Samuel. She’s home, safe, back in Blakeley,” Andrew lied, nodding, trying to buy some time.
“Son of a bitch! Neil, check the signal. Did he really send her back through?”
“According to the open link transport residue, Commander, one signal came through to our side, and one went back through to the other side. It was a smaller and cooler signal. Yes. He could have done it.”
Andrew was surprised, but did not show it. Instead he smiled and nodded.
“Damn you, Andrew, that’s nearly impossible. How did you do that? Blakeley doesn’t possess that kind of scientific knowledge or technological ability.”
“Oh, Sam, Blakeley is not the backward little farm community you remember us to be. Since Aleese and I took over, we’ve made major strides in every area. Blakeley is now the seat of power on Nord. We have grown by leaps and bounds. I told you I would do anything to protect my wife, to keep her safe. And I’ve done just what I came here to do, which was to find her and get her back home safely, with no back up troops, no weapons, and no electronic devices. Putting no one else’s life in danger. Just me.”
“String up this cocky son of a bitch! Let me think, Farm-Boy-Turned-Superman. You know, I liked you much better carrying a box of fruit. Can you get a message to her to come back through?”
“No, no communication device, remember? And even if I could reach her, Sam, I would never ask her to come back here.”
“Why didn’t you go back with her?” laughed Samuel. “That’s usuallyhow a rescue works, you know. You’re new at this rescuing the damsel in distress scenario, aren’t you?”
Andrew laughed and nodded.
“Yes, I know that’s how a rescue is supposed to work, but after I sent her back through the eye and I knew she was safe, I wanted to talk to you, man to man. Just what do you want with my wife? There must be a reason you abducted her by dark of night. Tell me what you want with her. What do you want her to do? What can we do, together, to end this futile, ridiculous war?”
“You want to talk peace? By yourself? Unprotected?” Bishop laughed wildly, slapping his hands on his thighs. “You idiot! You dolt! You have got to be the stupidest man on God’s special planet of Nord. You can’t simply walk into mycamp with no weapon, no army, completely unprotected, and expect to be safe. This is war!”
“Your war is with Havenhill and your brother Harold, not the rest of Nord, certainly not Blakeley, and not with me personally. Blakeley only grows food. That’s all we do. We don’t have one political thought among us all. And I am no fan of your brother Harold or his spoiled brat spawn Grant.”
“You know, I can’t for the life of me think of why she would choose youwhen she could have her pick of any man on the planet.”
“Well, I can’t figure that one out either, Sam. I did my best to talk her out of me. I told her openly and honestly that I was nothing special. So did your brother, the Lord of Havenhill. He wanted her to marry Grant.”
“Oh, Grant. I can hardly believe Harold fathered that sniveling little weasel coward. He is a pitiful excuse for a Havenhill. He’s so soft, so smiley, so touchy and feelly. Yes, you agree? Well, don’t you believe it for a moment! He’s a rotten, sneaky, ruthless, manipulative, underhanded, little traitor. You are a naïve and grossly optimistic man, Andrew, but you are not a coward. And you have integrity.
Bring him paper and a pen. Write a note, Andrew, and tell Lady Aleese to return through the eye immediately or you will be killed.”
“No”
“No? No! You will do as you are told,” bellowed Samuel. “You will do it now or I’ll send you back home to her, piece by piece, first an ear, then an arm, then a leg, then your…”
“Oh, yes, that’s sure to make her want to cooperate with you completely, and be all agreeable, as she collects my body parts on the other side. Sam, you don’t understand her at all. She wants peace. She hates fighting and war. She is the most reasonable and understanding person in the world. But you can’t bully her. If you want to sit down and talk to her peaceably on neutral ground, I can arrange it,” he nodded.
Bishop raised his arm to strike Andrew. Andrew stiffened to take the blow silently. Nothing happened. Andrew looked up.
“I’ll think about it,” said Samuel, knowing full well his methods had not worked with her.
“Of course, I will have to be with her, Sam. And I’ll have to be in one piece,” negotiated Andrew.
“Get him the hell away from me. His idealistic, wholesome, optimistic crap makes me want to vomit.”
Celine undressed Aleese, who was lying on the table in the Conference Room. She checked her over carefully while she was unconscious, redressed her in the monk’s robe, and reported back to Jared.
“She has some defensive bruises on her arms, where she shielded herself from attack, and she has rope burns and on her ankles and wrists.”
“No sign of… a personal attack?”
“No. But Andrew will still be livid. Someone struck his precious Aleese. And tied her up, very tightly. He’ll want to kill them.”
“Thank you, Celine. He would appreciate your silence in this matter.”
“Of course. I understand.” She nodded and left.
Hours passed. She began to stir.
“Lady Aleese, can you hear me? Lady Aleese?” asked Jared, shaking her shoulder gently. “Hi there, welcome back from the dark side of the moon. How do you feel?”
“Oh God, Jared, I feel like I’ve been trampled by wild, stampeding stallions,” she said holding her head.
“Close. You were hit with six maximum stun blasts. Lord Andrew told us to blast the hell out of anything that came through the eye. Of course, we had no idea it would be you. You’ve been out cold for hours.”
She rubbed her right temple and tried to shake herself out of the dense brain fog that encompassed her.
“Where’s Drew? Would you please call him for me? I really need him,” she nodded to Jared.
“Ah, Lady Aleese, Lord Andrew is not here. He went in after you. Alone. He’s on the other side. He said he’d be back in an hour.”
“Oh, no! When was that, Jared?”
“Three hours ago.”
“He’s in trouble. Jared, help me to the MedLab.” She slid off the conference table, wobbling.
“Lady Aleese, you’re still very weak. You need to rest.”
“I’ll rest when he is back here with us safely. To the MedLab please, Jared. We need to work on something. And call Carmine, please, and ask him to meet us there.”
“Lady Aleese! What happened?” Carmine came rushing in to her, reaching for her hand.
“I escaped from Samuel Bishop. I heard Andrew call to me, saying he was coming to get me, so I hid and waited by the aperture in a monk’s robe, and as soon as it started to open, I jumped in, looking for Drew, trying to find him before he came out of the eye. But…
“Lady Aleese! You cannot do that. You two could have been permanently fused together. And both killed instantly.”
“Well, it didn’t fuse us, and I couldn’t find him in there at all.”
“Did… did Bishop hurt you, Dear Lady?”
“No, not really. He threatened. He bellowed. He struck me several times when I wouldn’t… cooperate. But, Carmine, Drew’s in big trouble. I’ve got to go back after him.”
“This is crazy. Lord Andrew would want you to stay right here in the safety of Blakeley, where we can protect you until he returns. I’ll go get him. I’ll go through the aperture.”
“No, Carmine. Not safe. They’ll have a team waiting by the eye. As soon as it opens, they’ll grab you, just as I suspect they did Drew. But I have a plan. I need you and Jared, and a medic we can trust… completely.”
“How skilled a medic?” asked Carmine.
“I need an operation.”
“Are you sick? Oh God, if something happens to you while he’s gone, Andrew will kill me.”
“No, Drew will not kill anyone. And no, I am not ill. I need something implanted, something that was given to me this day by a priest who hates Samuel Bishop. A medic, please, Carmine?”
“Karl. Call him, Jared.”
The four assembled in the Lab.
“Dr. Karl, I need you to implant something, right here in my inner left forearm, you will need to stitch it securely into the muscle. Carmine and Jared, you’ll have to hold me down. No chemicals can be in my bloodstream or touch this implant, so I cannot be drugged.”
“What? You want me to do surgery on you with no painkiller? That’s barbaric. Are you out of your mind, Lady Aleese? A pissed off Lord Andrew will kill me.”
“No, Andrew will not kill you. My Andrew is not a killer. And no, I am not daft. But, we must act quickly if we are to save Drew’s life.”
“What on earth am I implanting in you?” asked Karl.
“This,” she pulled out a small metal square from the grey monk’s robe pocket. “It’s a direct transport device. This link bypasses the docks.”
“Good Lord! Where did you get this? Lady Aleese, these are illegal, and for good reason. They are very, very harmful. Every single time you use this, it shortens your lifespan. It puts undue stress on your heart. No, I won’t do it,” said Karl. “Lord Andrew would be furious with me.”
“Karl, if you don’t help me, Lord Andrew will not be furious. He will be dead. And I cannot allow that to happen when I have this device in my possession. I’ll use it to go in and get him, and to come out with him. I’ll only use it twice. Then you can remove it, destroy it, or do whatever you want with it, I don’t care. Karl, Bishop is torturing Drew right now, and then, when those sick, vicious bastards are done, they will kill him. Will you swallow your fears and love of following orders long enough to help me, or do Carmine, Jared, and I have to do this with no medical supervision. Because that is what I intend to do if you refuse to help me! Talk about one pissed off Andrew then.”
“Alcohol. How about whiskey? Can you drink whiskey?” asked Carmine.
“No. I have to have my wits about me to be able to go back and find him and get him out of there without anybody seeing us. Just do it, please. Please! I’m begging you.”
“This is going to leave a big scar,” said Karl
“I don’t care about a scar. I care about Drew.”
“This is going to hurt like hell.”
“I know. Just do it.”
“Well, can we knock you out after the surgery?”
“Karl! As soon as you’re done stitching it securely into the muscle, I’m going back in to get Drew.”
“God, this is a nightmare. You going to bleed all over the place.”
“Yes, I know, especially when I have to press it to get us back here. But as soon as I get back here with him, you can do whatever you have to do. Karl! Now! Please! While we’re having this heated discussion about my health and MY pain, Drew’s being… tortured. I cannot bear the thought, it’s making me crazy,” she sobbed.
“All right, all right. I’ll need a surgical assistant. I’d like Ben.”
“Okay. You prepare for the surgery. Jared, go get Ben,” ordered Carmine. “Lady Aleese, can you do this? It’s going to be really rough!”
“I know. But it’s the only way I can think of to get him back here before it’s too late. I feel responsible. Drew went charging in there to save me, knowing how much I fear Samuel, the Bishop of Havenhill. He gave no thought to his own safety. I must do this. I’ll be okay, Carmine. Really.”
“I’ll hold on to you as tight as I can,” said Carmine. Aleese nodded.
Ben came in and Carmine and Karl talked to him, huddled in the corner. He nodded. Once they began, they worked very quickly and efficiently and it only took a short time. Karl wrapped her left arm securely.
“Okay,” she gulped hard and struggled to breathe. “Wait right here. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back with Drew and he will need medical attention. Prepare for him. Have everything ready to treat his wounds and ease his pain.” She stood up and breathed hard.
“Godspeed and Good Luck, Lady Aleese.”
“Thank you. I will bring him home,” she said pushing the button. “I will not fail him,” her voice trailed after her as she disappeared.
Location: Bishop Camp, Far Side of Nord’s Moon
She reappeared on the other side of the moon, hanging on to the side of a supply barn near the square, panting hard. She took a quick moment to compose herself. It was very dark, but she sensed he was near. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw his tall, thin body tied to a wooden structure in the middle of the camp. She looked around and saw no one. She ran to him. She hugged him very gently and kissed his neck. She heard him moan. She started to cry. She stroked his head.
“Drew? Drew? What have they done to you, My Darling? Those bastards. Can you hear me?” she whispered.
He opened his eyes and gave her a little smile.
“Aleese? What… are you doing here, Love? You need to get out of here. Run. Please. Hide. Now. They think… you went through the eye. But you’re still very much in danger.”
She made no move to run or hide. She gently stroked his head and tried to soothe him. “It’ll be okay, Drew. You’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it,” she sobbed. “Hang on, honey.”
“Don’t cry. I’m okay,” he said.
“No. You’re not.”
“Aleese, am I… dead?”
“No. And I’m hoping we can avoid that for a good while longer.”
“Then… I’m okay.”
“I DID go through the eye, Drew. But I came back. To get you. Honey, can you stand up on your own?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “I thought I’d… never get to see you… again.”
“Do you think you can walk?”
“Yes, I think so. Far?”
“No, Sweetheart. Not far.”
“Right now, with… you here with me, I think… I can fly!”
“Close, very close,“ she smiled. “Now, listen to me carefully. As soon as you feel the ropes release you, I want you to hold on to me as tightly as you can, okay?” He nodded.
“Oh, I can do that. Where are we going?”
“Home, My Love. We’re going home. Hold on to me, Drew.” She reached around his waist, holding him as tightly as she could, and buried her head in his chest. She pushed the direct transport link in her arm and let out a painful cry and as they both disappeared from the middle of the camp, she felt his arms reach around her snugly.
Location: Blakely Province, MedLab
They reappeared in a lump on the floor of the Lab back home.
“What… just happened? Jared! Carmine! I thought I just heard Aleese cry out,” a confused, breathless Andrew said. “One minute… I was strung up… in the middle of camp… in the dark… in agony, thinking… death was near, and then… my sweet Aleese… appeared out of nowhere, and… she hugged me and I heard her voice. I thought I was dreaming. And the next thing I know… here we are on the floor. Aleese, My Darling, I was so … Aleese? Aleese?”
Lady Aleese was unconscious on the floor, her left arm bleeding heavily.
“Oh, no. She’s been shot. The bastards shot her. When did that happen? I didn’t hear a shot fired. Oh, she’s so pale. Dr. Karl, do something.” Carmine and Jared picked her up and put her on the table and Dr. Karl got right to work.
Andrew stood up, put on the shirt Jared handed him, went outside, and alerted a security team.
“Take as many men as you need,” he ordered angrily. “Dismantle the transport console. Divide it randomly in half. Bring me the key cylinder. I’ll be in the MedLab. Put the rest of it in crates and store it away in the underground tunnels in two separate locations. Then bury the damn transport dock. And do it right now.”
“But, Sir, that will strand them all on the far side of the moon permanently.” said Jacob.
“Yes, I know. Do it.”
“Lord Andrew, what happened?”
“I put up with whatever Bishop did to me, Jacob, in the name of peace, hoping for peace, working toward peace, to reunite our people, but they shot Lady Aleese, a kind, sweet, gentle woman who has never harmed a soul in her life. Gunshot wound to her arm. She ‘s very weak, very pale, and lost much blood, but she will survive. They, however, will not. I am cutting off their only way back from the dark side of the moon. Bury the transport dock deep in the ground. And those damn savages with it. Now!”
Andrew went back into the Lab.
“How is she? Did you remove the bullet?”
“No, Lord Andrew, she has not been shot. It’s an illegal direct transport device implanted in her arm that’s bleeding. She used it to get you out of there before Bishop killed you. And I need to remove it right now.”
“Yes, Dr. Karl, go. Remove it. Will she… be okay?”
“She’s lost a lot of blood. Lord, I must get to it.”
“Yes, yes. Do it.”
“Ben, make sure this brave soul feels no more pain,” said Dr. Karl. “Jared, I’ll need a jar with preservative to soak and store this implant. Carmine, cover her. She’s so cold. Lord Andrew, come here and hold her other hand. Having you here with her will give her strength. And Andrew, talk to her. Most of all, she needs to know you are safe. She needs to hear your voice.”
Andrew pulled a chair over next to her and held her hand. He noticed the bruises on her arms and the rope burns around her wrists. He lightly stroked her arm, shaking his head, blinking back tears.
“Aleese, I… you’re going to be fine, just fine. Can you hear me, Sweetheart? Everything will be okay. We’re back home, we are both safe, and we’re in the MedLab. Dr. Karl is working on you right now, I… I can’t begin to tell you… how horrible I feel that you are hurt, especially knowing that you were hurt rescuing me. I wish… I wish with all my heart and soul that I was the one lying on that table, in pain and bleeding, instead of you. Please, Sweetheart, just relax and know that we are taking care of you, and you will be fine. I love you, and I will take care of everything. All you have to do is just breathe, and relax. Dr. Karl is almost finished and then, you’re going to sleep for a little bit. I am going to stay right here with you, My Lady, and hold on to you so that you’ll know you’re safe. And when you wake up, you’re going to feel so much better. And I promise you, no one will ever sneak in here and steal you away again.”
Soon Karl was finished. The implant was safely stored away. Karl sewed up her inner forearm and Aleese was sleeping comfortably.
“Okay, Lord Andrew, you are next,” said Karl.
“No, Karl, I’m okay.”
“Lord Andrew, please. She did all this… for you. Come here. When she comes around, she’ll want to know from me that you have been given the best medical attention possible. Now, please, remove that shirt before it dries in your wounds.”
Andrew gave in and let Dr. Karl take care of him.
“Pain shot?”
“No, thank you. I want to be awake and coherent for her. I’m okay. Karl, she’s bruised, and has been tied up, how in the hell did this happen? How did they manage to sneak in here and grab her?”
“We don’t know for sure,” said Carmine. “Ruth said a man came to the front door of the Manor House to ask for help with a sick baby with a very high fever. Ruth told Lady Aleese and she went. She told Ruth that you were sound asleep and she didn’t want to wake you. We’ll have to ask Lady Aleese what happened when she wakes up. Uh, Andrew, I have to tell you something else. Remember you told me to maximum stun anything that came through the aperture? Well, I…”
“Please, Lord Andrew. Can we wait and have this discussion when we are all not so exhausted?” begged Karl.
“No. Now. And what absolute dimwit allowed Aleese to do this?”
“No one. She was going to do it on her own, Lord Andrew. She was coming after you, with or without any help from us,” said Carmine.
“I know every inch of my beautiful wife. Since when does she have a direct transport link surgically implanted in her arm?”
“Since about fifteen minutes ago. As soon as I was done putting it in, she pushed the link and went back in to get you. That’s why it was bleeding all over the place. She gave it no time to heal.”
“When did she get back here?”
“Er, about five seconds after you went through the eye. You two were in the there at the same time. She was trying to reach you inside the transport tunnel to stop you. Impossible, I know! But Lady Aleese seems to do the impossible quite often,” said Carmine, with admiration, nodding. “Lord Andrew, I have to tell you something. Remember you said to blast the hell out of anything that came through the portal? Well. Lady Aleese got…”
“And where did she get this illegal link to begin with?”
“She said someone, a priest who hates Bishop, gave it to her. She came back wearing a monk’s robe and nothing else. That’s all we know,” said Carmine.
“Carmine, how could you let her do this? Direct transport links have been outlawed for years, and for good reason.”
“Lord Andrew, she gave me no choice, the way she gave Dr. Karl no choice. Lady Aleese was doing this, with us, or without us. Your woman does not take no for an answer, especially when your life or your safety is at stake.”
Andrew sighed. He knew that was true, but it didn’t make seeing her suffer any easier for him to bear.
“Get rid of the damn direct transport link. Destroy it. Now. And speak of this to no one. We’re burying the transport dock right now. This war ends now. We’re burying the damn dock and all the Bishopites with it. It’s over. I had hoped for a peaceful settlement. I tried. But I will not allow them to sneak in and steal her away from me again. I will not sit back and let Aleese be harmed in the name of peace. And I will not let her live in fear that this might possibly happen to her again.”
He remembered his future vision he had of a naked Aleese, unconscious, tied up, with Bishop standing in front of her, standing over her. He couldn’t let it happen. He would stop it any way he could. And burying the transport dock would do it.
“Lord Andrew, you need to rest now. She’ll be awake soon, and she will need you.”
“Yes, Dr. Karl. I’ll rest here until I hear her stir. I want to be with her when she wakes up. Thank you very much.”
“Lord Andrew, I’ll post guards at the door. You will be undisturbed. Call if you need us,” said Carmine. And Carmine and Karl left them alone.
He crawled up next to her on the table, held her in his arms, and fell asleep.
Location: Bishop Camp, Far side of Nord’s Moon
“Commander Bishop! Andrew Blakeley is, um, … gone.”
“Gone? Dead? He’s dead? Oh, damn it to hell! I had such plans for him. And I really did expect her to charge in here to try to save him.”
“Um, no, Commander, not dead. Gone. Gone, as in just vanished, missing.”
“Missing? The son of a bitch was very securely trussed up in the middle of our camp, half dead, maybe three quarters dead when we finally got too tired to continue and went to sleep. Even if he managed to get himself down, how I don’t know, he had to pass us to get to the transport dock, which was securely locked. And, if he was able to get it unlocked, he couldn’t run the console and transport himself out all by himself. And he didn’t just wander off looking for a drinking fountain. Find him. There has to be a blood trail.”
“No. No blood trail. I looked. And… the ropes were not cut. He just vanished.”
“Any transport residue signal?”
“No, Commander.”
“Then, that means he’s still here. He’s hiding. He can’t be strong enough to have gotten far. Sound the alarm and search for him. Use the dogs.”
“Hmmm,” Bishop said to no one in particular, “maybe there is more to this dumb farm boy turn Lord of Blakeley and mate of the magnificent Golden Lady than I had originally thought. Maybe she saw something in him the rest of them missed, something quite remarkable.”
Scouting teams with dogs searched a five-mile radius of the dark side of the moon. Andrew, Lord of Blakeley was nowhere to be found.
Location: MedLab, Blakeley Province, Planet Nord
In the MedLab, Aleese began screaming, “Drew! Drew!”
”I’m right here, Sweetheart. You’re home safe, with me. Everything’s all right. Calm down. Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes, I’m okay.”
“Now, I saw the bruises and the rope burns. Can you tell me what happened to you?”
“He struck me when I wouldn’t do as he wished. And, after a few times, he had me bound and thrown in a dark dirt hole under the floorboards ‘to think.’ Blackness. No air. And then…”
“I’ll kill the bastard. I’ll go back in there and kill him right now.” He held on to her securely.
“No,” she shook her head. “We are home safe. Let’s stay that way. But you, what did the bastard do to you?”
Andrew drew her close, kissed her forehead, and whispered to her.
“It’s okay, My Love. I’m okay and you’re safe, right here in my arms. It’s over. And I mean it. It is over. The war is over. I ended it. I ordered the transport dock buried and the control console dismantled and stored away, effectively blowing up their only road into town. The Bishopites cannot use the aperture to steal you away from me ever again. You are safe.”
“Drew, I know he hurt you. I had my arms around you in the middle of the camp. I felt your pain. I heard you moan. I can help you; I can help your wounds heal. Call Carmine.”
“No. You are too weak. I’ll be okay. You must regain your strength. I’m okay. Really. Believe me, this is not the first vicious beating I’ve endured. Your friend and mentor, the great Lord Harold of Havenhill, has an equally savage streak.”
“That’s no surprise, they are brothers. Drew, please, let me help you. I can. Come on, honey. Show me.”
“No. Dr. Karl patched me up. I’m okay.”
“No, no, don’t fight me, Drew. Show me.” He sighed and gave in, slowly taking off his shirt and turned away from her.
“This will never heal correctly. The scars will be horrible. Call Dr. Karl and Carmine.”
“Carmine is right outside the door. But, Aleese, I’m okay. Really, I am.”
“Carmine,” she called as she opened the door, “I need Dr. Karl. I need first aid supplies and very small brush, and some glue.”
“Glue? Like wheat paste?”
“No, no, wheat paste won’t work. What do you use to glue the labels on the fruit crates?”
“Pectin gel.”
“Okay, pectin gel.”
Supplies were brought to the Lab in minutes. She positioned Andrew leaning over the back of the chair, putting warm compresses on his back to help remove the adhesive tape.
“I know this is uncomfortable, Drew. I will work as quickly as I can, getting off this sticky tape and dried blood. Then we’ll put antiseptic on. There will be some stinging. I’m sorry, honey.”
Andrew nodded.
“I don’t understand. What did I do wrong? This is how we treat big cuts of this size,” said Dr. Karl.
“This way will leave terrible scars, Karl. My way will leave no scars.”
“No scars? Impossible! You’ve got to be kidding!”
“No. Watch.” They worked quickly removing the sticky residue and bloody bandages and gently washing off the dried blood. She used a small brush to apply the antiseptic inside the wounds. Then she used the pectin gel to very gently glue the edges of his skin together. It was time consuming and exacting work.
“Drew, are you okay?”
“Yes, Aleese, I’m fine.”
“That’s never going to hold,” Karl said shaking his head. “Even if he stays perfectly still for the next twenty-four hours, which you know he will not.
“Come to the Manor House and take a look at him tomorrow, Karl. You’ll be surprised.
Okay, boys, thank you for all your help. You are wonderful. Now, I would like some private time with my very brave, very smart husband. Go now, please.”
They left. Andrew started to move.
“No, not you. Youstay still.”
“Me? Wait a minute! What happened to some private time alone with your very brave, very smart husband?”
“Give me a minute to finish this up here, then we’ll have some greatprivate alone time. Now, stay still. You know the white beam of light that appears when we make love?”
“Yes, of course I do. How could I ever forget it?”
“Well, this will be a smaller version of that. I want you to close your eyes and breathe deeply and try to be very still. This will not hurt you. You will feel heat, but the heat will not burn you. I promise you are safe.”
“I trust you.”
She started very gently moving her hands over his back, almost touching him. He felt the heat.
“Drew, are you okay?” He didn’t speak, but nodded slightly. She finished as quickly as she could, then she focused on her inner arm.
“All right. Shirt on, here,” she helped him put a clean white shirt on and button it. “Now, let’s go home, and if you feel like it, I’ll appreciate my brave, smart husband in private.”
“Oh, I’ll feel like it,” he laughed. “And that was verybrave, very smart husband, by the way. Come on, let’s go home.”
Chapter Two
How It All Began
Location: Blakeley Province, Year 2073, Planet Nord
The woman of Blakeley spent days cleaning and airing out the Manor House and preparing food for her arrival. The men checked the solar cells and hooked up the solar and wind power to the building and the lighting to all the rooms. Water service was restored. There was cooking and baking and decorating, the likes had not been seen in ten years. The big house had remained empty since the last Blakeley Lord had died in battle ten years ago and his wife, Lady Blakeley died six months later, some say of a broken heart. The day of Lady Aleese’s arrival, the children gathered wildflowers. And all the eligible, interested bachelors of Blakeley, which was all of them, were lined up in front of the Manor House in a giant semi-circle as the Havenhill Party rode into the village in beautiful ornate carriages pulled by white stallions decorated with ribbons and pink roses.
The children sang songs as the beautiful Aleese, in a simple cream satin dress emerged from the carriage and waved to them.
“Oh, look at them! They are so sweet.”
“They’re not sweet. They’re dirty little ragamuffins with no self-control,” snorted Lord Havenhill.
Aleese laughed. “Will you please relax and try not to be so… grumpy.”
“Grumpy? I’m not grumpy. I just… don’t want to be here.”
“And it shows. Why don’t you go in the Manor House and find somebody to fuss over you and bring you a cup of tea and maybe a cookie.”
“Okay. I will. This gangly lot is all that Blakeley Province has to offer you, Aleese. Some are strong, a few are smart, and one or two might even be considered handsome in a farm boyish kind of way, but honestly, my child, there is not a Blakeley man that is all three. Of all the men on Nord, these Blakeley males are the most ill suited to take on the role of leadership. They’re dirt-diggers who only understand a good thrashing. Are you absolutely SURE you want a Blakeley man? The men from Portmist are much larger and much stronger. Langley men are pleasant and very quiet. The men from Comerton are handsome and, although not very smart, are bred to please. The men from New Quark are scientific and very precise. And Havenhill men, as you well know, are natural leaders, brilliant, and very charming and would be able to appreciate a woman of your quality and distinction. I had really hoped you would agree to take Grant as your mate and become the Lady of Havenhill one day. He is a natural-born leader, you know.”
“Oh, I am sure you did. And, yes, Grant is a fine man. He will be a great Nordon leader one day. And he will always hold a very special place in my heart.”
“You know he loves you. I know he can be stubborn. I’ve tried my best to stomp that out of him, but his mother coddles him. But you know Grant cares for you a great deal. He would take excellent care of you and protect you.”
“Of course, I know that. But I seek more than just care and protection. Lord Harold, I want love, pure blissful love, the kind that races the heart and raises the spirit; the kind you can feel coursing through your veins. I am drawn here to Blakeley, Lord Havenhill. I believe the man I seek is here in this beautiful province. I have seen him in my dreams. Hedraws me to him. And I will know him when I see his warm, sweet eyes, when I hear his wonderful voice, when I touch him and feel the spark. I know it.”
“Oh, child, I’m not sure that kind of love even exists anymore. That was love a long, long time ago, before the big wars, before we became so jaded with all these laborsaving devices, scientific discoveries, and space travel. I remember it, a man and a woman in love. Nothing else mattered,” he sighed and looked off into the distance, remembering something, someone from his distant past.
“Well, here they are, the whole rangy lot of them. I cannot imagine a man from Blakeley leading us to peace, stopping the war, or neutralizing damn, crazy Samuel, the Bishop, let alone being the love of your life, your mate, as the prophecy has foretold. But if you wish to examine this sorry lot, one by one, then I shall help you in any way I can. I remember the promise I made to your father, to trust your judgment.”
“Thank you, Lord Havenhill. You are very kind… and brilliant and charming,” she laughed.
****
Andrew and Carmine walked up from the fields together, hearing the call to come to the village square.
“What’s going on?” asked Carmine.
“They’re calling for all single men to come to the village square immediately,” said Jared.
“Why?” asked Carmine, getting in line.
“It seems the fair and lovely Golden Lady Aleese has turned twenty years old and was told by her guardian Lord Havenhill to pick a mate or have one chosen for her. She has had a future vision of her mate, and she believes him to be a Blakeley man. She has come here to find him with the intention of marrying him, which would then make him, get this, the new Lord of Blakeley,” said Jared.
“No kidding! You have got to be joking,” Andrew said, amazed at the prospect. “This can’t be real!”
“Why? Because you think there is not a man among us who is worthy of her? You think that there is not a man in our whole province that is brave enough, strong enough, smart enough, and handsome enough to catch the eye of lovely Lady Aleese?”
“No. I don’t just think it. I know it. I am sure of it,” Andrew nodded. “She is like no other woman I have ever seen.”
“You’ve been crazy about her for years, since the day you saw her at the Library. You stood there and listened to her talk and then followed her around for hours and hours, with this really dumb smile on your face.”
“Yes, I remember,” he laughed. “I was amazed by her. Enthralled. I’d never seen anything like her before in my life. Actually I saw her first at the hospital in Portmist, talking to the patients, easing their pain, soothing their worries, and talking to the doctors, listening to their concerns. And, yes, I went especially to hear her speak at the Grand Library in New Quark and I spent the whole day following her around, watching her, listening to her, trying to catch her eye. She is truly outstanding, mesmerizing. She is so much more than beautiful. She’s very intelligent, concerned about others, and funny, and so very sweet. She has this intuitive sense. I tried to get close enough to her just to say hello and tell her I thought she was wonderful, but I couldn’t get anywhere near her. Once I called out to her and she turned toward me, but tons of Havenhill guards descended upon me and dragged me out and beat me off. Grant Havenhill’s doing, I presume. He doesn’t want any other man anywhere near her. She deserves so much more than Grant Havenhill. Or the sorry likes of one of us! She deserves some big, strong, handsome, smart, brave hero, someone who will make her happy. And I don’t think there’s a man among us who could figure a way out of this damn futile war and lead our world to peace. We are not fighters or men of deep thought. We’re nothing more than simple farmers,” said Andrew, taking his place at the very end of the line. “So, how exactly does this interview process work?”
“So… after all that, you’re in?” laughed Carmine.
“Oh, absolutely, I’m in. But do you think I have time to go home and change my shirt?” They all laughed.