A Chance Encounter

Interrupted Sleep

The crash that woke him from a sound sleep sent him into immediate adrenaline overdrive. Damn near twenty-five years since his last deployment, and he still woke ready to fight for his life at the slightest out-of-place noise. It was even worse in the last few years, since his wife died and he sold the house and went on the road. He was reverting, becoming practically feral. So when he heard the woman’s muffled cry for help, he

didn’t really even have a conscious thought involved. He popped the hatch on his little micro camper, snagged his knife from beneath his pillow, and his cane from its place by the door.

He did take the briefest of seconds to contemplate pulling on his boots, as he hated the thought of what broken glass, or discarded needles, could be lying in the streets. Cursing under his breath, he just tucked his knife in the waistband of his jeans and grabbed the boots. He would carry them with, and put them on if there was time. Damn, he hated not knowing what he was walking into.

The pain in his feet from the trash on the roads digging into them distracted him from the grinding in his knees. In his mid-fifties, and a rough half century at that, his body was in the habit of reminding him it didn’t appreciate his youthful antics, but a misspent youth meant that when he did find whoever was making that poor girl cry out for help, they weren’t going to be doing it for long.

As he reached the mouth of the alleyway, he heard a nasal male voice say, “We know you have it, so give it to me before this gets messy.”

Good, he thought, as he started pulling on his boots. Keep talking. Maybe this was just pimps beating the money out of their whores. He didn’t exactly approve of such, but that wasn’t the kind of thing a smart man just “white knighted” in the middle of, or the whore was likely to stab you in the back for clubbing down “her man”. He continued to listen from around the corner, clinging to the shadows while he settled his feet, and felt the reassuring comfort of sturdy jackboots encasing his feet and lower legs. The heavy leather and hardened

soles would protect his feet and shins, and if it came to delivering any kicks, they would sure send his message with a lot more authority.

He heard a second deeper voice say, “You know you can’t stay up there for long. Your hands will slip soon enough, and then you’re down here. We’re going to get it one way or the other, so why not just save yourself a whole lotta hurt? Just throw it down to us, and we’ll be on our way.” He could now hear the woman’s sobs. The strain of where ever she was at must be getting to her.

He took a deep breath. Ah well, it’s now or never, he thought as he leaned heavily on his cane and stiffled his own grunt of pain as he forced himself upright. He took a second to let his mind shift to business mode. Pain faded from his immediate concern. He pulled the knife in his left hand and hefted his cane as a club in his right. He tensed his knees a couple of times to test them and then he prayed, in a voice below a whisper. “Father, may the work of my hands bring honor to your name, and upon my house, and be found pleasing in your sight, omein.” Then he ducked around the corner and into the alley.

It was darker here, and at first it wasn’t easy to make out the two goons standing at the base of a fire escape, with a woman dangling from the ladder. It looks like she was climbing up when part of the ladder came loose and she is now hanging in midair, with the two below her looking up at her like hunting dogs who have treed their prey.

His first thought was okay, not hooker and pimp. His second was to keep his eyes down. Odd thing about people, if you look above waist level, they can feel you watching them, but if you

look below that, they usually can’t. So he was stalking up on them quietly, carefully placing each step. The other secret to sneaking is not to walk in a pattern. It isn’t the individual steps that are heard usually, or at least not that are noticed, it is the pattern of footfalls. Vary your gait, don’t kick over anything particularly noisy, and you’re usually fairly quiet. Tonight, everything was going fairly well in his favor.

Judging by the threats that the two had continued to make toward the girl as made his way down the alley toward them, these clowns deserved

whatever they got. Still, this wasn’t a war zone, and he didn’t need the legal headaches of explaining two bodies, so he stabbed his twelve inch hunting knife deep into the ass cheek of the goon on his left, and wrenched the blade hard across cutting a long deep wound. Nearly at the same time, he swung his cane at the head of the goon on the right. The years he had spent in his youth doing armored medieval re-enactment combat paid off this evening. The heavy knob of his cane connected with the base of the goon’s skull, where the jaw hinges just below the ear, and he went down, hard.

Pivoting to face the man with the knife wound, he saw that most of the fight had gone out of him, but as he was still conscious, and there was no way to know if he had a gun or not, so a finishing strike with the cane for safety’s sake, soon put him down for a nap as well.

He looked up to see her still dangling there. She was just a little slip of a girl. Younger than his daughter. He called up, “Hey, it’s ok. You’re safe now. I took care of them. Do you think you can make it down on your own, or...” He didn’t even get out the words before she was dropping.

She cried out when she hit, and he could see she hit wrong and obviously twisted up her foot. She looked up. “Thank you, but I’ve got to go. They’ll be sending more soon. You really shouldn’t be here...”

Before she finished, from the end of the alley they heard a deep male voice, “Well, well, well, what have we got here...”

* * *

Impossible

“Shit” he heard her say, as they both looked up to see three men dressed much like the other two, now blocking the only way out of the dead-end alley.

Gripping his knife, he wondered again if one of the goons laying at his feet had a gun and if he could get to it in time.

“Look, no reason for anyone to get hurt little girl. Just give us the bookmark, and you can both walk out of here.” The man said it in that overly calm voice one uses when one is trying to approach a small child or wild animal and doesn’t want to spook it.

Suddenly he felt a hand grasp at his arm, and he started to pull away,

thinking that she was panicking and wanting to cling to him, but he would need every bit of movement he could muster if they were going to have any chance at living through this. Before he could pull free, however, the entire world shifted, and reality swirled before his very eyes.

Night went away, and suddenly it was bright as noon, and they weren’t in a city any longer! They were in a wide open grassland, and as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but prairie. He collapsed.

When he opened his eyes again, the little redheaded girl was smiling down at him. She had taken her little backpack and used it for a pillow for him, and had even sort of set up a little sun screen of sorts with a little blanket she had. “Welcome back. Sorry, there was no time to warn you. If we had let them catch us, it wouldn’t have been good for either of us. I appreciate you helping me, but I’m afraid that I’ve kind of gotten you in over your head. I’m so sorry.”

He blinked, then chuckled. “Little girl, I’ve been swimming in the deep end longer than you’ve been alive,

punching above my weight class for most of it. I’ll admit I wasn’t looking forward to fighting the three of them by myself, but unless they had a gun, it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that I was going to lose. Even ten years ago, there wouldn’t have been much doubt of my winning, but” his face dropped, “no delusions. I’ve gotten old. All of that burning the candle at both ends and in the middle, has finally started catching up with me.” He shrugged. “David Abramson, and glad to help. Wanna fill me in on where we are, how we got here, and what kind of trouble you expect? Oh, and when we can go back to grab my gear before someone steals me blind?”

She smiled at him and shook her head. “Thank you again for saving my life David Abramson. I am Anna, as to where we are, that you’ll find more than a little hard to believe, but in time well, you’ll have seen it enough that you’ll come around, so for now, just go with it. She held up a book, it was one of those trashy bodice ripper romance novels. “We’re in here. Life on the American frontier.” she sighed. “As to how we got here, well that is what they are after. There is a special item, a magical book mark, don’t ask me where it comes from, I don’t know. I ended up with it when my father stole it, and then they killed him while

we were running. I had the bookmark and a book, so I could run away. Now, they come after me whenever I go back to the real world. I can stay in the novels, but novels are written intentionally dramatic, so you rarely have long to wait before something cataclysmic or tragic happens. While we’ve been hiding out here, I’ve been waiting for bandits, or outlaw Indians, or wild animals to show up at any moment. “

“Okay, Anna, let’s say that I believed all of that. How do we get back to the real world?” David asked.

Anna smiled at him and held up another book, it was a dictionary. “You go into whatever book you put the marker in, so if you use a non-fiction book...” she shrugged.

“Oh, hmm... Ever tried an atlas? See if you could use it to move around?” he asked.

“That’s brilliant! No, I never would have thought of it! We should try that.”

“You keep saying we, and hey I like your company and all, but you really

planning to hang out with an old goat like me? What do you think your husband will say?” He asked with a laugh.

She snorted, “Not married, you saved my life, and it seems you can handle yourself, and you come up with brilliant ideas, besides, as much as I hate to tell you this, they’ve already run facial recognition, and voice print on you. You can’t go back to your old life. We do need to get back soon though. Long enough to check on any family or friends that you care about. They haven’t gone after family yet, but...”

He growled, “But take no chances, I hear you. So I’ll be ok, come on, let’s check on people.|

She shook her head, “No they’ll just be waiting for us at the moment. Be patient. If we move too fast, we might draw their attention to the very people we’re seeking to protect.”

He growled again, but he couldn’t fault her judgement. Damn, he hated this part of any conflict, the uncertainty, and the waiting. He took the time to look through his very meager belongings, hoping to find something that can help.

A Brush With The Infinite

Differing Life Experiences

David was still tired, and he was more than a little sore. This was more excitement than he was used to at his age. Anna was up and running all over the place, and he wanted to snap at her, but if she got mad and just left him here, in his condition he probably wouldn’t make it far. From what he knew of the old west, he could be days of travel from supplies, and that was days of travel for a young, healthy man. There was good reason what many people didn’t make the trip across the plains in one piece, or at all.

Finally, he couldn’t just sit there baking in the sun anymore. He was hungry. He started poking around with his cane in the nearby weeds, and soon enough he came across some wild carrots and a few other basic edibles. Military survival school was good for something, he thought sourly. Getting Anna’s attention, he waved her over. “Look, I didn’t want to say anything, but running around like you are, if there is something hostile out there, you’re making it pretty obvious where you’re at. Still, if you want to do a little exploring, that probably isn’t a bad idea. Take a look at these...” He showed

her the three different plants and how to identify them. “These can all be eaten, and I found them all right here without even having to get up. So if you keep your eyes open while you’re moving about, you can probably get us a fairly excellent dinner picked before too long. If you can find water, well hot as it is, we’re going to need it, and something to boil it in. I can make some clay pots if we have no other option but that isn’t a good option. Unless we’re going to be out of here a lot sooner than I fear?”

“Where did you learn this?” she asked in surprise.

David chuckled, “SERE training, back when I was in the service, and I added to it with plenty of bushcraft stuff when I got out. Hell, if this had happened to me when I was your age, I would have been in my element. Now, well now, I know just how carefully we need to plan things if we want to survive. If we’re going to be on the run, we need an “oh shit kit”, and we need to put it together quick."

She grinned at him, “An ‘oh shit kit’?”

“Yup, trademarked, and patented. Soon as you hear someone say, oh shit, you reach for that kit, because with it you can basically survive just about anything. Unfortunately, I left mine on the back of my bike, because I figured I’d be going

into a fight, not a hike across the old west.” he shook his head as he said the last. “I thought I was the one doing the ambushing, not getting ambushed, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Private Murphy strikes again.”

“Private Murphy?” she asked.

He sighed. “Murphy’s rules of combat.” When she looked blankly at him, he shook his head. “What are they teaching you kids these days?” He winked at her, “I’ll teach them all to you sometime. For now, see if you can find us some water, and a few more of these vegies. I’ll dig us a Dakota fire hole, and get us a fire going to boil the water, assuming you find some. Seriously, keep your eyes

pealed for hostiles. I really am not ready for any surprises just now. With a little prep, we’ll do just fine kid, don’t worry, but we’ve got to get ahead of all of this mess first. So stay focused, survive the next forty-eight hours, and we’ll be ok.”

She looked at him a little oddly, but just nodded and headed off to look for the plants and the water. He was pleased to see that she actually seemed to be paying a little more attention to how much noise she was making. She still exposed her silhouette above the crest of the rises and highlighted herself against the sky, but if they

made it through this, she could be taught.

* * *

I Didn’t Want This

Anna had to admit, her new “partner” was pulling his own weight. That salad he had figured out how to get had really hit the spot. She hadn’t eaten in almost a day. Though he was bossy, gruff, and liked to brag about how good he used to be. Well, ‘used to be’, didn’t help her much now, and if he treated her like a kid one more time, she might just leave him somewhere.

Okay, no she wouldn’t, he was her

responsibility; she dragged him into this. He wouldn’t even be dealing with this at all if he hadn’t risked his own neck to save her life. Still, did he need to be such a hardass all the time? He almost never smiled, and when he laughed, it was usually a signal something really screwed up was about to happen. The things he thought were funny...

He had been so pissed off when they circled back and found that his motorcycle had been towed. She had tried to tell him that it would be. The people chasing them had ties in to all

the police departments, and could watch bank accounts. Any time she used her credit cards they were on her trail the next day. He had said that when the cards were used, it sent a notification in the computer, and the only reason that they haven’t turned them off was so that they could track her. She hadn’t thought of that. She knew that they were tracking her, but she didn’t think that was why they left it working.

He took them to a food pantry. She had never been. He said he had volunteered in them for years, but this was the first time that he had ever needed to actually

use one. He stocked them up with a bunch of food. So much that they were having trouble carrying it all. She thought it was kind of odd, because the stuff he got wasn’t things that they could just eat, it was all stuff that needed to be cooked. They didn’t have a kitchen. Crazy old man. He just kept taking charge of things though, like she didn’t have a say at all.

Then he went to the library, and he loaded up all these books in my backpack. I tried to explain that neither of us had a library card, but he told me not to worry about it, and just wait for the sign, and then walk out the front

door calmly. When I asked him what the “sign” was, he said, “Oh, you’ll know it.” Cryptic old hobo.

Of course he was right, he walked out the fire exit. Well, the alarms sounded and everyone ran to that door, and while they were all trying to lecture him, and he was swearing at them like a crazed lunatic, no one noticed me walk right out the front door like it was the most normal thing in the world. They threatened to call the police on him, but of course, in his fatigue jacket, long gray hair and beard, and not having had a shower for at least two days, he looked like any homeless person you would see, and they knew that the police

wouldn’t do anything. So as long as he left, they were glad to see him go. He might be frustrating, but no one can say he isn’t smart. My dad would have been impressed, anyway.

His last stop really confused me, and it caused an actual fight between us. It was a coin collector’s shop of all things. He wanted me to max out all of my credit cards on these stupid gold and silver collectable coins! What good were those when you were on the run? Just more junk to haul around. Still, he was insistent. So finally we did it, and it was a heavy box. I couldn’t believe we had thirty thousand dollars’ worth of these

stupid coins between us. He maxed out all of his credit cards too, then the crazy man gave the card to another homeless person as he was walking down the street. I wasn’t about to do that! He just laughed at me and said we’d do it later. Like hell I will!

Then when we got back to where we had stashed the food and other supplies, he loaded it all up, and handed me a book titled Robin Caruso, and said, “Are you up for a tropical vacation?”

* * *

Conquest of Paradise

Of all the places to have to hide out, an isolated island in the tropics isn’t the worst way you can go. Having read the book, David knew that Crusoe was a bit of a dick, and worse that the other side of the island was a definite no-fly zone, but for a few days, the little corner they were going to hole up on, would work out just fine for a while, or so he hoped. With a few quick chops of the knife, he had a decent bamboo frame lashed together so that in conjunction with the blanket and some palm fronds, the most basic of shelters was available.

Proudly, he displayed his handiwork to Anna. She raised an eyebrow. “Only one bed?”

David rolled his eyes. “Oh give it a rest princess! Sure, you're beautiful. At your age it is hard not to be, but I’ve got self-control. Nothing is going to happen unless you lose control. If it bothers you that much, we can just split the watch so we hot bunk it instead.”

“Hot bunk?” she asked with a frown.

“Navy term, on some of the smaller ships, especially subs, there aren’t enough beds for all of the crew to have one, so they assign them in shifts. When you get it, the bed is still warm from the guy who got out of it, hot bunking.”

She wrinkled her nose, “Eww”

David laughed, “Little girl, that is the least of the ick factor things that the military put up with to keep the things that go bump in the night from bumping uglies with you. The point is, unless you want to build your own hooch, this is home for tonight. Be an adult about it or don’t, I don’t care. I’m getting a bath. It’s hotter than hell here, and I’m sweating my balls off.” With that, he stripped off his clothes, with no concern for modesty, and walked his wrinkled old man's ass right into the waves.

On the beach, Anna was trying to recover from the shock. No one ever

talked to her like that before. He was rude and abrasive, and then he just shucked off his clothes like she wasn’t even there. What the hell is wrong with him, she thought. No one needed to be that crass or direct. Sometimes she thinks he is just an asshole to be an asshole.

When he came back from his bath, he was carrying a large seashell. “What’s that for?” she asked.

“You collected water from the stream like I asked, but didn’t drink any of it right?” he replied.

“Yeah, what does that have to do with the seashell?”

“Well, until we can get some pots to cook in, this is going to have to do to boil water.” He poured the water from the coconut shell she had filled in the little stream, into the hollow of the seashell, and then set it up next to the fire. “It’ll take a long time for it to boil this way, and so we won’t have much in the way of fresh water, at least not at first. If you want to find some fresh coconuts, we can drink the coconut milk, but we want to go easy on that. Unless you like spending all of your time running for the bushes. Not to mention all we have to wipe with is that wad of napkins I snagged from the restaurant when you went in to use their bathroom. We’ll end up needing to go

back to the real world before long, but we should be able to hang out here for a few days. You said the problem with hiding out in books was that they always throw things at you to move the “plot” along, well part of the plot of being marooned on an island is endless boredom." He grinned at her, “When you’re being chased by an organized bunch of well-funded goons who want to kill you and take your stuff, boredom sounds pretty damn good. Besides, I figure this will give us a chance to think, and maybe do a little planning. Then we can do it again in a few weeks, and maybe work in a little training, and I can teach you a couple of tricks to help you evade them a little better.”

She frowned at him. “Oh, and what makes you think you’re going to be so much better at it? I can’t really see you running very far?”

The truth stung, but he didn’t let it show. “True enough on that last part, but that is the whole point, little girl. If you’re smart, they should never get close enough to make you run. For instance, that credit card is maxed out now, giving it to the bum on the street, means when he tries to use it, they chase him and not us. Always be where they aren’t, and you’ll not need to run. I didn’t get all this gray hair by being stupid. I know you would rather be here with Brad Pitt, but you got me, and honestly it is lucky

for you that you did. It might not make your titties tingle, but you’ll live longer.”

He grunted, “Hand me that length of green bamboo over there. I’ll show you how to make tongs. You’ll need them to pull the sea shell out of the fire here in a minute, at least if you don’t want to burn your hands. You don’t by the way, burnt hands are a killer when you’re trying to survive. You use them for everything, so it hurts like hell, and because everything is dirty, the burns almost always get infected. Speaking of, after I show you this, do you know what aloe looks like? Might not be a bad idea to harvest a little of that and mix it with some coconut oil. With your light

colored skin, you’re going to get a sunburn out here no matter how careful we are, but with a little effort, we can keep it mild and controllable.”

She wanted to yell at him. There he went again, barking orders at her. What was worse, was that she couldn’t. He was right. She DID want some hunk to hang out on the beach with, and play in the surf. What was wrong with that? Instead, she gets this grumpy old man, who really seems to know his shit. Sure, if he cleaned up, he was Sorta cute for an old man, but really it was going to need to be a lot longer before she became that desperate. Certainly not until he at least learned to talk nice to her. Why did he always have

to say such vulgar things? He talked like he was always mad, too.

“You go look for aloe. I’m going to get me a bath. No peeking!”

He snorted, “If you’ve got something I haven’t seen a thousand times before, I’ll throw a stick at it.”

Break the Chain

A Learning Process

Life on the island wasn’t all bad. David could really go for a steak right about now, after two weeks of fish being the only real meat protein he had been able to source. He had nearly shot down a couple of island birds with his bow, but he wasn’t THAT good of a shot. Birds were a lot smaller than people thought, more of their apparent size was feathers than you would at first assume, and so each time he had shot at one, feathers had flown, but the bird itself had just continued to fly on. Still, even to hit them with a bamboo bow made with only the crude handful of tools he had at

his disposal, it was a good try. Didn’t put meat on his table, though.

Anna didn’t seem to mind. She seemed more or less happy eating the gathered greens and hunting for the lobsters and oysters. She was surprised when he wouldn’t eat them. After she hadn’t let it go, and hadn’t let it go, he finally snapped at her. “I’m Jewish! I don’t eat unclean things!” He had expected it to be another of their many fights, but it wasn’t. To his surprise, she just asked him basic but rather intelligent questions. “Yes, if it were that or starve it would be acceptable.” “No, I don’t keep all the extra Rabbinic rules.”, “No, I don’t know why some things are

kosher and others aren’t except that it specifically gives rules on how to know.”

The one he had actually been waiting for didn’t come with a sneer as he had expected, for most people it usually did. The presumed superiority of the secular always amused him. So few of them know the assumptions that their certainty is actually based upon, worse, when confronted with the hard evidence that they are in fact using assumptions to base their reasoning on, they usually double down on their assertions, and become aggressive, often bordering on violent in their defense of it. Fortunately, Anna just seemed genuinely curious. “Why do you

think that, that particular book, as opposed to all the others that are out there has some special right to tell you how to live?”

He actually smiled at this one. “Ah, I once saw things as you do. It is easier to give an example, at least I think it is. For many hundreds of years, Christians ruled Europe unchallenged. Every king, and every would be king, all had access to the biblical texts. The book says when in a camp, issue every man a shovel, that he may go outside the camp to do his business, and bury it. I tell you this because prior to WWI, sickness and disease killed more men in time of war than an enemy attack. So if at any time there was someone who rose up, and

said, ‘we’re just going to do what it says’, he would have had double the army strength for the cost of issuing everyone a little hand shovel.”

He made sure to make eye contact. “Without germ theory, they wouldn’t know ‘WHY’ it worked, but if they just trusted and obeyed, it wouldn’t have mattered, it would have worked, and with the stronger army, they could have ruled the world. Instead, they taught their followers to reject the commandments in the book, and not do what they were told to do, and many of the shit themselves, quite literally, to death because of it. First thing the military teaches now is how to

dig latrines. Sometimes I wonder is maybe we still don’t know the full ‘WHY’ and should do it EXACTLY as commanded instead of the modern approximation, but I think you see my point. I don’t know exactly why I am not supposed to eat lobster or shellfish, only that I am told not to. Unlike those who didn’t listen, I choose to listen.. Am I perfect at it? No, but the way I look at it, the closer I can come, the better it is for me. You eat whatever you want.” He shrugged. “Between you and the man upstairs anyway. Not my business either way.”

“How do you know it isn’t the woman up stairs?” she countered.

He sighed, “Well, it is neither, and both really. Remember made man in His image, and we got Adom. Chevah was pulled out of him later though, so perhaps she was there all along? Perhaps the “divine feminine” is “a thing”, but not separated out. Trying to separate it out, make it unconstrained, is what causes the problem." He shrugged, “You have to understand, the ‘feminism’ you have been sold on in the modern world, is actually at war with the ‘femininity’ that is your birthright.” He smirked and shook his head as he saw her whole face contort. “Yeah, yeah, I know. It is a Pavlovian conditioned response that they have trained in to you since you were very very young, always defend any

small slight against feminism, especially if you suspect the criticism might be true. Look, if you want to be told what will make you happy, and charge out there trying to obtain it no matter how miserable it makes you, and everyone around you, be my guest. My question is, are you genuinely happy? Is what they tell you will make you happy, really what will make you happy? It isn’t what the stories you tell yourself to escape into fantasy, say makes you happy. Meh, I’m just an old man. The days of my being able to convince a young woman of anything valuable have certainly come to a middle.” He winked at her. “Believe whatever you want to, I guess I would

just wonder if you’ve ever actually had the time to step back and really ask yourself if it is what YOU want, or what you’ve just been sold on the idea of wanting.”

“I don’t know. How can anyone ever really know that kind of question?” she asked. She still had her face a bit screwed up in suppressed anger. She was ready to fight at any moment, and only barely holding on to keeping with a civil conversation. He could see the cultural programming, fighting with the new information she was getting. Pure chaos boiling under the calm surface, but to her credit, she was genuinely trying to understand. He felt sorry for her. Her whole life she had been force fed

propaganda on so many levels, this just being one of them, and now he was challenging it. Of course, it was a struggle. He wondered if it might not be easier to just leave her in her delusions, but if they were going to be depending on each other on the run like this, he had to try to reach her.

“Well, the first step is to admit to yourself that there might be validity in looking at the other side. Then taking the time away from all of the voices in the media and popular culture that scream at you day and night to reinforce their programming in your mind. Then have both cases presented, and only then, evaluate. What decision you make at that point is up to

you. I just find it odd that only one side is ok with you examining both sides of an argument, instead of only the strawman arguments they tell you represent the other side’s arguments. Again, do what you want to on that one, but we’ll have to do it later. In the morning, we’re going to need to make our trip back to the real world. We should have given everyone the slip enough by now that we can start figuring a few things out back there.”

* * *

Traveling Lessons

Anna thought she knew about traveling with the bookmark, she soon realized that David finding her had saved her life more than on just that night. His choice of book had worked out well for giving them a place to hide out and recover, and while his choice of foods had seemed odd to her, they had been able to keep without refrigeration and while his rustic cooking techniques hadn’t enabled them to eat any really fancy meals; they had missed none either. His odd quirk about seafood aside, they had a couple of relatively comfortable weeks’ rest.

When he had gotten the itch to go back to the real world, she had objected at first. It was the first peace she had known since her father had shown up with this damn bookmark. Then she had tried to talk him into going back without her, but he had said they didn’t know enough about how it all worked. She was frustrated with him. What was there to know, he could go, then put the bookmark back in the book and come back for her. He wouldn’t hear of it though. He had insisted on taking with them all of their coins, and his knife, and their books, even though it was all so heavy to carry. At least she had talked him in to leaving the food and some of the stuff they had made behind.

His cryptic muttering that it would be a good test had only annoyed her. What the hell was he testing? She didn’t really even care anymore. At this point, if they were going to go back, fine. She didn’t know why, it wasn’t like they had any money. She still had her card, but it was maxed out now.

Once they got back, they had used the atlas like he had suggested, and surprise, surprise, it had worked. When they had left the world last time, they had been in the southern US, and by simply placing the bookmark in the right page of the atlas, they reappeared in western Canada. The grin and wink he had given her when they saw the road sign in kilometers had made him look ten years younger, despite

the all white beard that usually made him look much older than fifty. Most of the time she wanted to strangle him for acting like a grumpy old man, but every once in a while, she could see the young man he once was peek out from under all of that irritation with life, but she knew better than to expect it to last.

Their walk into the little town had been a nightmare. Trying to carry all their stuff, and with his bad knees, it seemed like he spent more time resting than he did walking. Worst of all she couldn’t even be mad at him, because she could see that he was in horrible pain, but he would just go until he was breathing hard like he was

doing some kind of odd Lamaze technique, and then he would sit and rest. Then, with a groan, he would leaver himself back up on his feet, and go again for another couple hundred yards. They made it into the little town, and he collapsed on to a park bench. He looked to her like he was about to have a stroke. “Okay, sorry to do this, but I’m going to need to hang out here while you take care of some of the running for us. My knees are shot, years of marching when I was in the service, and then decades more of fighting in all that armor... well, let’s just say I didn’t do this old body any favors. Sorry that you got stuck with the broken down model kid. Twenty years ago, I could have been some real help, but now,

well you’re going to need to do the legwork. Think you can handle running some errands?”

“What do you have in mind? What do I do if they show up?” she asked him nervously.

“You jump into a book and you make a run for it is what you do, what else. Don’t screw around and get caught. I don’t think it will be a problem though, as long as you don’t call anyone from your old life, better yet, don’t make any phone calls at all, not yet anyway. Don’t use your credit cards either. No paper trail, and if you can help it, don’t show your id to anyone. Now, the first thing you have to do is get some money. Best if you can find a coin shop,

but if not a pawn shop will work, but they will cheat you if they can.” Carefully, so as not to be obvious about it, he handed her one gold coin and five silver coins. “We paid about $2200 for these. You’ll probably not be able to get all of that back out of it, but you should be able to get at least two thousand. Oh, that is two thousand US dollars. Since we’re in Canada, it will be more in Canadian dollars. I don’t know what the exchange rate is right now, but if you’re in a coin shop, you should be able to find out from them what spot price is. Even a pawn shop should be able to look it up online. ‘Spot Price’ that is the going price for the metal at today’s rate. They’ll want to pay you a little less, probably.” he

shrugged. “They’ve got to make some money on the deal after all, but try to get as close to spot price as you can. Then, you’ll have some money. You can buy a burner phone, but don’t make any calls, they might be checking with voice recognition on the phone lines, even texts will need to be done carefully, make sure you buy some data minutes though so we can get online to set some things up. If they haven’t locked up all of my accounts, maybe I can move some money into crypto wallets.” He shrugged. “It isn’t quite as solid as coins in your hand, but it is a lot more portable, and it is a place where we can get paid in the future. If we’re ever going to fight back against

those chasing us, we’re going to need a way to get paid in this world. We need good back packs, some canned food, we can use the cans for boiling water, it’ll make it all go a lot faster, so buy some big cans if you can find them. Some cheap tools too. Best if we could hit garage sales, but not being able to get around, maybe we’ll hit a thrift store after I’ve had a chance to rest and you get back and we see how much money you have left over. Before we leave, you can call anyone you want, and we’ll trade off your credit card. By the time they trace it, we should be back on the island. Let’s see if we can get a good dinner first, though. I haven’t had any red meat in so long, I think one more

fish and I’m going to sprout gills.”

Anna rolled her eyes at him. “You rest. I’ll handle this. Shopping I can do.” She winked at him.

It was his turn to roll his eyes. “Take this seriously. Be careful. Keep your eyes open and don’t take any chances. If you have to leave without me, stay gone for two days, and then if you can try to find me again under that last bridge we crossed coming in to town. I’ll try to make it there if I can avoid them. If I’m not there, then I got pinched and you’re on your own. Seriously, I think we’ve given them the slip, but don’t take it for granted. Don’t let your guard down.”

“Okay, dad.” she said as she left him there on the bench. Being able to just be a girl shopping again was so weird after the last few months, but it was nice. The little hobby store dabbled in coin collecting, and they paid out a little less than what David had said that they should, but what was she going to do? She managed to find all the things on his wish list, and even a little garden cart to pull it all in. Unfortunately, the thrift store had closed by the time they had made their way to it, and with the condition of their clothing, sit-down restaurants were out of the question. Still, she picked him up some burgers from the local cafe, and even picked them up a case of beer, though

they agreed it was better to wait until back on the island before tapping into that. “Hotel?”

He shook his head. “I’d love a hot shower, and even more a soak in a hot tub. It’s just that no place wants to rent rooms anymore without a credit card. It is a control measure. Oh, it is sold to the public to be about a concern for damage to the rooms, but it really is a way to monitor travel of citizens.”

“Tinfoil hat much?” she asked him with a sigh.

“Haven’t you been running for your life enough lately to develop a healthy dose of paranoia yet?” he arched an eyebrow. “The young always are naïve enough to believe

the cover stories, so they look at those of us who’ve been around the block long enough to see through them as ‘old kooks’. Those who manage the systems of control nurture this viewpoint, it makes it easier for them. It is why schools teach things contrary to the beliefs of parents. The goal is to drive a wedge between the old and the young, so that the young cannot benefit from the wisdom of age, until they are too old and” he pointed to his knees, “broken down to effectively change the status quo. It helps maintain the power structures as they are.”

Anna couldn’t help her smile. She couldn’t call David dumb, but really, did he know how crazy he sounded? Since they couldn’t get a hotel, she put the bookmark back in the book, and they

triumphantly carried their loot back to the island. Her heart fell. She ran all over the beach, but David just sat there nodding. “What happened? We left it all right here!” She called out.

David just nodded. “We did. It all reset when we left. We can’t store anything in the books, or we’ll lose it. I was afraid this might happen. It is why I wanted to take with us everything we would need. It’s ok. We’ll store things in a remote place in the real world, and live in a quiet book. At least until we figure out our next steps. This is what I meant about testing things. Before we can do anything, we need to learn all the ins and outs of how this thing works, because the other guys have all the

advantages, except the bookmark. So we have to make it do everything we can for us. That means I have to teach you a few things, and I have to learn how best to use what we’ve got. The good news is, we’ve figured out enough now, that we may just have enough time to learn enough to fight back. I’m too sore to build a new shelter tonight. Looks like we’ll be sleeping rough for a little bit.”

A New Life

Can’t Unsee It

David grinned at her, “Only two hundred more to go.” If looks could kill, she wouldn’t need to learn to use that bow. They had each taken to shooting five hundred arrows a day with his little bamboo bows. They weren’t fancy, but they were quick and easy to make, and he had talked her into the idea of setting of caches of weapons, money, and equipment, in several places back in the real world. Bamboo bows, a knife, an axe, a small library of assorted paperbacks, some hand tools, a package of lighters, a few military MRE rations, a roll of toilet paper, all the basics. Then they buried

these little kits in rural areas all over the English-speaking world, and even a couple in non-English-speaking countries, just in case.

Using a public Wi-Fi connection and the Tor network, David had created a webpage using one of the free services. He uploaded locations on the site, with no label as to what it was, he recorded the year and edition number, as well as the ISBN number of the atlas they were using as well as the page numbers of every place where they had hidden each cache, as well as the GPS coordinates. When he was done, it looked like just a string of numbers, and only if you knew what it was supposed to be, could you make any sense out of it. Anna had looked at it all a

bit confused. “Why would you risk that?” she asked.

David smirked. “Well, it isn’t much of a risk. I used all new disposable email addresses and only put it up on free web hosting sites so there isn’t a money trail. I actively cleared all the meta data, so there is nothing for the search engines to get hold of.” He shrugged, “If you don’t know what to look for and where, you’ll never find it. It’s mirrored on several servers, so you can’t expect they’ll even be able to pull it down even if they do happen to track it down, and assuming that they do, it’s just meaningless numbers, unless you know what it relates to. You and I do though. As will anyone who eventually may travel

with us. So If we end up having to run, flat busted and empty-handed, we can hit any of these spots, and have a basic kit waiting for us, to help us start over. In time, we might even be able to add little memory sticks with some crypto wallets to the caches, or maybe some basic electronics, who knows?”

As she fired the last of the arrows, her arms felt like jelly, but her mind kept going over all of the different plans he put in place. Making her learn how to protect herself better. Learn how to manage money better. Learn how to always have a way out of a room, and a back up plan for how to get away. He was always an

asshole when training her, and so many times she just wanted to kill him! Then, all of a sudden, just as she was at the end of her rope, he would do some flashy move that proved beyond any shadow of a doubt just how good he still was, even half crippled with pain, and as her despair threatened to overtake her, he would explain something. Explain it in a way that if she didn’t know better would seem almost tender and caring, and then quick as it came, it was gone, and Mr. Asshole was back and barking orders.

Anna smiled to herself, thinking back on their last training session. She had wanted to be taught to fight, and he had been trying to teach her how to run away. She had kept at him and kept at

him, until finally he agreed. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t warned her. “You’re a girl, you need to fight like a girl.”

She had been so sure of herself. Her faced flushed even now thinking about the lessons of that day. She had retorted, “You’re a pig David. It is the twenty-first century! Get with the times. Women can do anything men can do!”

He had just laughed at her, “Okay, show me.” embarrassing and painful defeat after embarrassing and painful defeat followed. “It’s why they have all of those second class athletes at the olympics, you know, women’s sports.” he taunted. She charged again, and again he dropped her. The whole time she could tell he was

hurting worse than she was, not from anything she did, but just because he was physically broken that badly, but it never mattered. Time after time, he swatted down her best efforts like he would those of a child. On the last one, he brought a hand up to strike her across the throat, then drove his knee into her solar plexus, and finally viciously executed a hip throw, following her to the ground landing atop her, crushing out any remaining air she might have had. He too lay there wincing in pain, but when she recovered enough to try to struggle free, she realized that he had effectively pinned her. “Are you recovered enough to be able to listen now?”

His voice had none of the mocking tone of earlier. Hell, if she didn’t know better,

she would swear it was almost sympathetic. She was still furious, “Let me up!”

He let out a low chuckle, “No, I don’t think I will. What I have to say to you is very important, and you really have to not only hear it, but understand it. On a gut level, understand it. So, if that means I have to hang on to you for the entire night, or two nights, until you get past the stubborn side and get into the listening part of your mind...” the bastard had leaned forward and kissed her on the nose! She tried to bite him as he pulled back to complete his statement, but he only chuckled, more than confident he had complete control of the situation, and unfortunately for

her, he did. “I will. We can just sit here on the beach and cuddle.” He sighed, “I should quit taunting you. It served a purpose earlier, now I’ll admit, you’re just cute when you’re angry, but that is self indulgent of me, and I really mean it when I say, this is important. If I quit goading you, can you listen and really try to understand?”

Anna can laugh about it now, but at the time... it took all of her willpower to agree to that simple compromise. “Feminists have lied to you. You are not the SAME as a man. That does not make you of lesser VALUE, but it does mean that you may be valuable in different ways, and if you want to compete with

men, you will need to compete on YOUR strengths, not ours. That quip about the olympics wasn’t a joke. Boxing and wrestling have weight classes for a reason too. Combat doesn’t. When I say learn to fight like a girl, that isn’t a bad thing. It is the feminists who have poisoned you against your own sex, to the point that you no longer value your own strengths. A woman, on average, is going to be at a height, weight, strength, and experience disadvantage in a fight with a man. She will often be at a speed, dexterity, and cultural advantage. Play weak and scared, lure him in, over confident and unsuspecting, then strike first, strike fast, and strike for a pressure point to end the conflict. Use a weapon,

carry unconventional weapons, hair pins, poisons, fans, hidden knives, etc... Women’s clothing provides a wealth of places to hide such items, especially traditional clothing. Sharpened corset stays are vicious, or properly built, they can double as armor... My point to you is, the modern world, in trying to make you the same as a man, cheated you of all the ways women are unique and special. Quit trying to make me teach you to fight like me, and let me teach you how to fight in the way that will work out best for YOU. Can you put all the conditioning that they’ve hammered into your head in neutral long enough to hear the truth in this?”

Anna had been so flummoxed by him. He was crude, brutal, vicious, cunning, absolutely ruthless, obsessive about planning, yet, under all of that, he was somehow protective, and self sacrificing, noble, and she never would have believed it, she thinks he is a romantic. The way he described women, wasn’t the misogynist, chauvinist she had him pegged for at all. Conservative, sure, but not at all what she had been told that meant. When she had finally been able to gather her wits together enough, she managed to stammer out, “Uh, I think so.”

She found herself kind of feeling like she was reeling all out of bounds, as he

instantly released her then. “Good! That was what I needed to hear. I can only help people who can manage to listen past the conditioned responses. Those who programmed us, they defined certain key words, that trigger an emotional response. Once that emotional response happens, it makes having any logical discussion about the merits of the underlying issue nearly impossible. This was carefully crafted to make sure no one ever questions the underlying assumptions too critically. Normally, you can go through life like this, and it just makes you one of the sheep. You get sheered and yeah it means you live a pretty bland life, but that is your choice for the ease of not bucking the system.

With what we’re engaged in, if you can’t face the reality of our situation, you’ll get us both killed. Sorry to resort to such harsh ways of braking through the programming, but it has to happen.”

She still wasn’t completely sure she understood what he meant about “conditioning” and “programming” but David saw the world in a different light, and she had to admit, once you saw it, you couldn’t unsee it.

* * *

Antiques

Once they had tested their caches in the real world, and found them to be

permanent, and not resetting on them, David was ready for his next big test. They selected one of Anna’s favorite historic romances and soon found themselves outside of a large plantation home in Georgia. Nearly everyone has abandoned the plantation except the elderly owner, and his young daughter, who is to meet a tragic fate at the hands of the approaching Union Army. David had rolled his eyes several times as he read through the passage before they jumped into it. In his opinion, it really was awful, but Anna loved the book, she just always hated how this scene played out. When she had mentioned it, and he noticed the level of distress she showed, he had an idea. It would allow him to

test multiple theories at once, and if he were really lucky, they might find a proper tool for fighting back in this test.

They made their way into the house, and he quickly began to loot the place for fairly common everyday items. He focused on sturdy durable items, things that if well cared for, would wear well over time. He swore under his breath when he heard that southern drawl demand what he thought he was doing in her house, as he heard the distinctive sound of a pistol cocking. He palmed the little alabaster carved perfume box that had been sitting on the table, which he had been intending to dump into his backpack, and he turned around,

resting his weight on the cane in his left hand.

As he got a good look at her, his eyebrows involuntarily rose. She was stunning. Southern bell in all her glory, holding what had to be her father’s pistol. It was obviously too heavy for her hand and the muzzle weaved around wildly, as she struggled to hold it steady. He sighed inwardly, smooth bore pistol, it would be a minor miracle if she could hit him with the damn thing, even if she knew how to shoot it, at least at this distance. With it being so obviously unfamiliar to her, he wanted to just chide her to put it down before she hurt herself,

but that was likely to have her fire the damn thing, and this was a novel and who knew what rules it worked under. For drama’s sake, it might just hit him. Instead, he gave her his best smile, “Now, now, Miss Violet. Army will be here soon, we have to get you out of here. I’m just packing up a few things so we don’t leave empty-handed.”

The pistol swung wildly as she spat an accusation, “You sound like a Yankee!”

She barely got the phrase out of her mouth though, for as soon as the pistol muzzle came off of center, he whipped the alabaster box at her like a fastball. The little stone box struck her soundly in the forehead before she could even bring the

pistol back around to bear. Anna was already zipping from her hiding spot to tackle the poor girl, but she needn’t have worried, the stone box struck her soundly enough to drop her to the floor, her eyes completely unfocused.

David secured the pistol and checked the single shot dueling piece. It was impressive, but from another era, not really an effective weapon for trying to defend the house. David looked down at Anna, checking on Violet’s condition. He shook his head, “Don’t worry too much about that. She’ll be alright, the story wants her awake and ready for her next scene. Before that happens though, and we have half of the Union Army sending

mini-balls through these walls, maybe you should tie her hands, and see if you can find the rest of the dueling kit. Time is short. Union scouts could be here at any moment.”

Anna glared at him, “I thought we were coming here to help her, not knock her out.” she pouted.

David laughed, “When are you going to learn? Just because I don’t coddle you, doesn’t mean I am not helping. Now hurry, I still have to see if anyone left the silver in the dining room.”

They tossed the house with the best speed they could manage. By the time they got back to Violet, she was ready to give them a piece of her mind. David roared in her face, “Shut the fuck up!” Her eyes went

wide, and when her mouth opened to protest, David snatched a lace doily off of one of the tables, and quickly began to shove it in her mouth. “Ah there, some peace and quiet.” He said, ignoring Anna’s glare. “Look, Violet, you’re coming with us. You don’t understand this at the moment, but if you’re with us long enough for it to matter, you will. If we leave you behind, your fate is to be gang raped by this rapidly approaching Union Army, and left broken and shattered on your parlor floor, consigned to the flames, as they torch this place. They won’t even have the common decency to give you a bullet in the head to spare you the flames. They feel justified,

because it is vengeance for another atrocity they witnessed done by some locals further back.” He shook his head in disgust. “So, make this easy on us, and you’ll be spared that fate at least, and from there we’ll talk about your future. I’m not a monster, and Anna here actually likes you. Piss me off, make too much trouble, and I will hamstring your dumb ass, and leave you here to spend your time contemplating what is getting ready to happen. I don’t want that, and you don’t want that, so how’s about you just be a good girl for the next two hours and let us sort all of this out when we don’t have people trying to shoot at us, okay?”

Her eyes were wide as saucers and she tried to speak but nothing came out of her

mouth. “I’ll take that as agreement. Don’t make me regret this. Anna, let’s get ready to travel.” They could all hear the drums of the Yankee Army off in the distance as the bookmark was placed in the page, and all three of them made their passage over into the real world, along with two backpacks full of what appeared to be pristine condition antiques.

Discoveries

A Period of Adjustment

Pulled from her parlor in a most peculiar way, Violet found herself suddenly standing in a wooded area a few yards from a rustic cabin. Her heart was pounding and she felt faint. This wasn’t possible! Her strange captors were celebrating, as if this were the most normal thing in the world. She had to be dreaming... Or maybe when that beast of a man threw the alabaster perfume box at her, it had hit her head hard enough to addle her wits, that had to be it. This was all in her head, and she would wake up in a few minutes to find them gone and if she was lucky, perhaps she would have

time to get away before that army she

had heard, had time to reach the house.

Or they will set it alight and you’ll never wake at all, a part of her mind taunted her bitterly. She snapped back at it, if what they had said was to be her fate were really true, perhaps that was a kindness. She shivered. It was cold here. The air was crisp and cool. It didn’t really feel like Georgia at all. This was all just too weird. She heard the old man speaking to the other young woman who it seemed was traveling with him, maybe his daughter, or a niece perhaps? “It’s a little early in the season for them to have the cabins open for tourists. I doubt they’ll have power turned on yet, but

why don’t you go check to see if it is empty, and if maybe you can get us in. We could go back to the island, but...”

The young woman interrupted him nodding, “...but I wouldn’t object to a little time in civilization either, if we can make it work casually enough.” With that, she dropped her backpack at his feet, and pulled out a long metal bar, then jogged over to the cabin.

He turned and came over to Violet. She knew she should be scared of him, it was obvious by looking at him that he was no stranger to violence, but, and she couldn’t for the life of her tell you why, she could sense that he wouldn’t harm

her. Not unless she gave him a very good reason, and she had no intention of doing that. As his eyes met hers, he gave her a bit of a crooked smile. “I’m going to cut your hands loose. You can run off if that is what you want, but you can’t get back home from here. The world that awaits out there,” he gestured to the forest, “beyond those trees, is strange beyond your imagining. Strange in ways that can even get you killed.”

He let out a long sigh and leaned heavily on his cane. “believe it or not, I wish there was an easier way to break all of this to you, but there isn’t, not in time to keep you from doing something stupid because you don’t know any better, and

getting yourself hurt or killed. I’d really rather that not happen.” She wasn’t sure by his flat tone of voice if he meant that or if he was just saying it because he thought that was what a person was supposed to say. He continued, “So, be patient, stick with us for a little while. We will teach you about this world and its dangers. We’ll take care of you, until you know enough to take care of yourself if you decide to go it alone.” He shrugged, “If you run, I will not chase you down. There will be no one there to save you from calamity when it all goes horribly wrong, and in time it will, if you don’t know the basic things that any child raised here would know.” He just

held her gaze for a long moment, then he looked up, and past her. “Ah, it appears that Anna has our accommodations for the evening. “

What I saw were wonders beyond imagining. Yet all were overshadowed by seeing the little paper bound book with the painting of Sara Faulkner on the cover with Damien Johnson. When she read the story, when she read her life, and the destined end for her, and contemplated her situation now... It was all overwhelming. There was no question about it any longer, these people did not mean her any harm, and it would certainly need a period of adjustment before she knew enough

about the real world before she could ever hope to look after herself. It might be depressing, but her new fate was better than that which she had been destined for.

* * *

Hit the Town

After what turned out to be a more comfortable night’s sleep than any of them had expected, David decided it was time to celebrate. “The only question is ladies, private party, just the three of us on the island? Or do we risk a night out on the town?” he gave them both a dangerous smile. “The first

option is safer, no question about it, and we can buy steaks and champagne, and have a bonfire on the beach... not the worst way to spend an evening, and given my knees, not one I find objectionable at all. Then again, I am old.” he grinned at them. “I understand you two might prefer something a little livelier, with more people, pounding club music, though I wonder how Violet will find that scene.” He said the last with a bit of a smirk, and he could almost see Violet getting ready to insist, just to resist being told no, not because she had any idea what they were talking about. Half of him hoped she would, it would be a good life lesson for her, and one that likely wouldn’t cost her more than a miserable evening

and a bad hangover the next morning.

To his surprise, Anna suggested a compromise. A quiet celebration, but in this world, so that Violet could get a feel for things. He was more than a little shocked at Anna suggesting the little “no tell motel” but she was right, charge by the hour, and you pay in cash, no questions asked. For what it was, the room was on the clean side, and nearly everything in it worked. They cycled through the shower, and it gave David a place to sit and do some online work, while both ladies slipped out for some retail therapy to bury the chaos of the last couple of days.

David got all of the “antiques” up online. The first one was snapped up quickly. Moving funds into crypto wallets, he was finding it had been made more difficult to move money around than it had been before. It was becoming more and more difficult to have any type of financial privacy. He knew he needed help, but the problem was, he had no idea where to get it. It wasn’t that what he wanted was ‘illegal’ but it was in such a gray area of being outside of any legal structure at all, that it was almost impossible to find someone who was just offering the services. By the time the ladies got back though, he had managed to put together three basic “corporate cards” for them, that were set up as expense account cards funded on the

back side by crypto wallets, and “owned” by shell corporations.

Anna saw hers and was giddy. David shook his head, “Don’t get too excited. We’ll probably only be able to use them for one or maybe two trips, and then we’ll need to switch out, and start new companies, etc. Get new prepaid cards and what not. The good news is, for things that we need to have a card for, we can now have cards for. We just need to make some contacts for burnable IDs, and we’ll be a lot harder to find. Enough of that, have you two decided where you want to go for dinner?”

Well, anyone who has ever tried to start date night with that question has some idea of how it went, but eventually

David just threw his hands in the air, and said, “Vegas Baby”. With a trip to the island, and then immediately back to Nevada, and a quick Uber ride down the strip... they were able to give Violet an amazing introduction to wonders of the real world. While at the same time putting access to experts in a variety of ahem, ‘useful professions’ within easy reach. David took the opportunity to make the most of this as well. From the dark net, he made arrangements to meet several people in the ‘import, export’ business, where goods from fine art of questionable origin, to chemicals can be acquired or sold.

He didn’t have anything yet, but if he could bring back a pair of dueling pistols, why couldn’t he bring back a

rare work of art? Or maybe help Aunt Mary Jane move up from Columbia... There are always ways to turn this ability into cash, and cash into security, so that maybe one day they can quit running... maybe, one day...

* * *

Taking Risks

Anna never was much of a science fiction fan, but her father had been. She remembered him telling her about some of the books he had read in an attempt to get her to enjoy them as well. It had

never worked. One evening after they returned early to their hotel in Vegas, she and Violet had gone to see a show, but Violet had been scandalized by what passed for modern entertainment and wanted to leave, she spent a little time on the internet asking about good science fiction books.

Remembering the looting they had done of the plantation, and seeing what kind of money they had gotten for the “antiques”, she wondered what a ray gun would get them. After several conversations with a lot of very intelligent but very socially awkward young men who were all too happy to spend the evening video chatting with an attractive young girl about their favorite subject, she had landed on an

even bigger plan. The book she wanted to visit was dangerous, very dangerous, but the rewards if they could pull it off...

She approached David while Violet was sleeping, “I want to explore another book, and I want to try something for a test.” she said it in a very quiet voice, her nervousness making her voice tremble a little. “This is going to sound terrible, but I want to go without Violet. First, I don’t know that she’s ready for this, and secondly,” she hesitated, “I want to see if she resets if we leave her here in the real world without us. If she does, we’ll go back for her. I know she won’t remember the first time, and in a sense it will be like killing this version, which is why this is so terrible, but if

she doesn’t reset, then we can help a lot more people, and if she does, then we’ve learned early how not to make a really serious mistake.” She looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to understand her reasoning and not see her as a monster.

David’s eyes went wide, and he took a deep breath. “Whew, yeah... That is a serious one. I see why it is bothering you, and I see why you want to do it in secret. I don’t know that it is a good idea to start keeping secrets from each other though. I think we need to tell her and let her decide. If she doesn’t want to take the risk, maybe we capture some asshole we would kill anyway and test on 'em?”

“Do you think she is ready to make a decision like that?” Anna asked.

“Decision like what?” Violet’s voice asked from the other room, she came in rubbing her eyes.

David and Anna both looked at each other, and Anna looked guiltily away from his eyes. David, though just looked to Violet, “Well, we have an idea, but it isn’t without risks. We THINK it will be safe, but there is a chance you could forget everything up until now. You will still be safe from your fate in the book. You just won’t remember things exactly the same way.”

Violet’s eyes narrowed, “Whatever do you mean sir? I believe you will need to explain this to me in detail.”

So he did. Full detail. Including how the books reset, but the real world didn’t seem to, and how they had tested it with objects but never with people. How IF she did reset they would go back to get her, but if they did she wouldn’t remember their first meeting, at least it wasn’t likely. It would be as if they were meeting again for the first time. Violet became very worked up, and she fainted.

When she finally did come around, she surprised them both by agreeing to it. Moreover, she even offered them some key stories to tell her “new self” if they had to go and meet her again, so that she would trust them more from the start. She concluded it all by simply shrugging, “I’m terrified, of course, but

you two saved my life. How can I not accept this minor risk for you?”

Just like that, it was decided.

Things Change

The Aliens Are Coming!

David enjoyed science fiction, and had even heard of this particular series, though he had never read the books. He was a big fan of the author’s other series, but while he would enjoy meeting those characters, he didn’t see how they would be much help in their current situation. In this series, he was fairly lost. He got the whole alien invasion concept of course, but he couldn’t really tell you the “good aliens” from the “bad aliens” but from what Anna had said, that was kind of the point of the series. Even the “good guys” had ulterior motives.

He let her take the lead on this one, and watched as she made contact with this drop dead gorgeous woman. Come to find out, she was one of the main characters in the book, and supposedly a skilled espionage/insurgent agent for a rebel “deep state” organization trying to fight against the main body of government, who had all sold out to the interests of these aliens. He only found out later, that she had traded them a few plot twists from their story, in exchange for the access she wanted.

It turned out that what she had wanted was access to one specific piece of specific technology. They called it “the slab” Anna got her turn first. David was in shock. She crawled up on the slab and the woman who crawled off, wasn’t

Anna! Even her voice was different! It was only when she told him of private details that happened in other books they were in together, that no one other than Anna could possibly have observed, did he believe that it was actually her. She smirked at him, “Let them try to find me now. What do you say, ready for a make over? They say that they can even make us look like sisters if you want.” she teased.

His eyes shot open, “You wouldn’t!”

She giggled, “No of course not. You’ll get to choose any changes. I just wanted to see your reaction. Go ahead, I kinda want to see what you come up with.”

David settled on the slab, and the menu came up. He skipped age regression. He didn’t really want to be a kid again. He

dialed the health levels up all the way though, including the package labeled operative package. He resisted the urge to make himself taller as well, though he did give in to every man’s temptation in another area. He smirked, why not, he didn’t quite go freak of nature level, but certainly he would never again need to wonder who was the biggest one in the locker room. He also picked up the longevity package as well. He wasn’t sure how much longer it meant, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to give himself a few more years, now that he would be in better health. At least assuming that all of this didn’t revert the moment they left the book.

Then he felt his mind start to drift, and fog, he didn’t really want to lose

consciousness. He knew he probably didn’t really want to be awake for this either, but a lifetime of paranoia warred with the field that tried to force his mind into stasis. His body felt like it was on fire, but it wasn’t his body, it was like he was floating above it. Like he could see the lasers stripping away sections of his flesh, while other machines rushed in and caused new scaffolding to grow in to replace it. The pain was there in the back of his mind, but almost like it was happening to someone else. He watched the complete process. When he could see that it was nearly done, a pair of eyes appeared in the room's corner. He was shocked because only now could he see that they were attached to a creature who had obviously been there the whole time, but only when it moved its eyes to

look directly at him, could he see it. In his mind he heard, “You were allowed to observe in this way, so that you could trust that which was done. You are a most unusual human, I would very much like your story. When next we meet, we shall trade for it.” David felt himself fall into his body like he was crashing, and as soon as he opened his eyes to look, the creature was gone. He did notice something odd however, his new eyes were so sensitive, he was able to detect the slight temperature difference in the area where the creature had been.

Huh, he could see further into the infra-red spectrum than he had been able to before, he thought as he stood up and looked around. Everything looked

different. More vibrant. Smells were stronger as well. Oh, oh, his mind nearly melted down with elation, there was no pain, or weakness in this new and improved body. All the years of slowly rotting away in his own body, just whisked away in moments, and now he felt a strength he didn’t think he had even when he was at his prime. He was still flexing each joint in experimental wonder, when he heard a small gasp.

He looked up to see an appreciative look on Anna’s face. She sure as hell had never looked at him like that before. He saw her almost leer at him as a small smile played about her lips, “Damn David. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought you would go younger, back to the glory days and all. I got to say, the silver fox

look suits you. Fuck, never would have thought it, but... Just don’t say, ‘who’s your daddy’ to me, I’m not sure I want to hear myself answer.” she giggled at that last while fanning herself.

David shook his head, “Keep it up and I will put you over my knee, and not in the fun way.” he growled. He couldn’t help a momentary vision of that flashing through his head. He forced it out ruthlessly, no time for that now, and dangerous for it at any time. Besides, between the two of them, even as stunning as the new Anna unquestioningly was, she was also still undeniably immature, and a pain in the ass. “Besides, “ he said throwing cold water on her mood, “we really should get back to check on Violet.”

He watched the wave of guilt pass over her, and just like that, they were back to all business. It was time to go home.

* * *

Homecoming

Violet blinked twice at the two people standing at her door. They claimed to be David and Anna, but while David looked sort of like himself, he had NEVER looked that good, and she used to be prettier than Anna, but now... she didn’t feel prettier, that was for certain. David still looked like a man in his early middle years, but the most virile man of that age she had ever seen. Gone was the limp, and the somewhat tired stoop of

his shoulders. The snow white hair was thick and full, as was the long beard. Watching the taunt muscles pull and ripple under his now overly tight shirt, she couldn’t help but think of some of the ancient Greek statues of Poseidon, or Zeus. Elder members of the pantheons, who were respected for their wisdom, but not viewed as having traded strength and vitality for it.

The change in Anna was even more dramatic. She looked more like one of the “super models” that they had in these new fashion magazines. This world had so many amazing things, but some of the new trends in clothing were down right scandalous! Anna was certainly proud of the new body that she somehow gained, and wasn’t shy about

showing it off. The dress she was wearing clung to her tighter than a shift, and didn’t even reach to her knees. Violet couldn’t say it wasn’t beautiful, but to be seen in public like that?

She would have been a lot harder to convince that it really was them, except that they spoke immediately of their joy that she hadn’t reset and forgotten them, and they told her of the special stories she had relayed to them, specifically so she would trust them if they had needed to gain her trust if she had lost her memory of them. That made it fairly difficult to deny their identity at that point. Of course, they still also argued like normal as well. Anna, now that she had a new identity wanted to get forged

papers and try to make a life in the real world again. She was confident that no one would be able to track her with the new disguise. David of course, was his normal cautious self. He wanted to go back to some island, and spend a little time there planning out their next step. He said that this new situation had changed a lot of things, and that they should think it through.

Both of them were looking to Violet. She hated it when they put her in the middle. She didn’t know anything about this island, and she didn’t want to make either of them angry. “Anna, would it be so bad to go there for a week? Just to let David have a little time to wrap his head

around the new situation? Before she answers that, David, would you be okay with just a few days, maybe as much as a week, after all, it really isn’t fair to make Anna go somewhere she really doesn’t want to go, is it?”

Anna rolled her eyes, “I had hoped he wouldn’t be so timid if he was more like the wild young guy he kept talking about, but fine if he needs a week to settle his nerves, whatever.”

David sighed, “I would have thought almost dying several times would have gotten the point across that mistakes are dangerous, and we don’t really know enough about the people who’ve been chasing us. Fine, in a couple of days the

three of us should be able to hash out a reasonable plan, and a couple of back up plans, and a go to hell plan, just in case. Then yeah we can all get on with our lives, if that is really what you all want to do.” He didn’t look a bit happy about it, but Violet was just glad to finally have them both agreeing to something that she didn’t really care what it was.

For her part, she knew that she didn’t understand the world enough to be alone in it. If they both went their separate ways and left her to fend for herself, even if they gave her money, she didn’t know anyone, or how to live in this place, she was afraid she wouldn’t last long. She didn’t want to come right out and say that, guilt might keep them around for a little while, but it was a

toxic way to hold on to people. Maybe she could think of something while they were on the island. “So, when are we going to this island?”

David and Anna looked at each other, then David shrugged, “Maybe tomorrow evening? I kinda think we should probably make a supply run first. We’ve got money now, and even if they have been tracking us, it is unlikely that they will immediately recognize us, though I don’t share Anna’s confidence in our ability to just disappear from their notice forever. It should still be safe enough to get supplies to live more comfortably. Honestly, I don’t know why Anna dislikes it so much.”

Anna made a face at him, “Nothing to

do but sit around and listen to you lecture me on all the boring things you think I should know.

David’s face looked for a moment as if that one cut straight to the bone, but quickly his face dropped back into an expressionless bored mask. “Well, given the way things were going for you when I showed up, I just assumed you might want a little help to keep you out of those kinds of situations in the future.” He shrugged, “Look, I know this isn’t a walk in the park for anyone who is serious about trying to have a normal life. Maybe we can get there, and maybe we can’t, what I can’t do is run off unprepared, get caught, and squander this second chance we’ve been given.”

He looked to Anna, “I don’t want to argue with you. All this worry, really is to try to keep you safe. I suppose that really isn’t my job, if you don’t want it to be. With my knees fixed, I’ve just got a second chance at things, kinda feel like maybe I owe you for that one.”

Violet smiled at him, “You both saved my life, I don’t really want to be left alone just yet either, but I don’t’ really want to be a burden.”

She watched Anna roll her eyes, “I didn’t say you both had to go away and never see me or each other ever again, I just thought I could get back to having a normal life for a change!”

David snorted, “If that is really all you want out of life, you might be able to. I just want a little time to think about how

we can have more, and if something goes wrong, how we can meet up and get away, before they get us. Anyway, I call dibs on the shower. Tomorrow we make a supply run, and then the countdown clock starts on my efforts to convince you both to take things seriously.” He winked at them and headed toward the bathroom before either could object over him getting the shower first.

Visions of A Future

Well, Violet thought to herself as she looked over the island, it’s pretty enough, but I see why she wouldn’t want to stay here. There is nothing here. She and Anna had gone shopping for things for the island. Anna had bought the most scandalous “swimwear” she called it. Even the much more conservative one that they found for Violet was beyond scandalous, but like Anna had told her, at least where they were going to be, only she and David would see her in it. While David would be a problem under normal circumstances, he had saved her life, and while he had made a couple of

crude comments, he had not seemed overly interested in her. Though, she supposed, he was eligible, and he seemed confident that he would no longer be concerned about money. He certainly was loaded down with what he bought for this trip. It was almost comical to see him try to carry it all.

He had told Anna and herself to get these hanging hamoks that doubled as tents. He said for no longer than we would be there it would be quick and easy for us to have a place to stay. He was right too. It set up in just a few minutes, and in no time at all, Anna and I had our area set up. David didn’t seem content with that. He was cutting bamboo, and using a spool of wire

he had brought to wire it all together. Anna rolled her eyes, “He made a little shelter the first time we were here. It was nice enough, but it reset when we left, and it took him all day, so why do it again for a week’s stay?” she shrugged.

Still watching David work, it didn’t take Violet long to figure out this was no mere shelter but a nice little cabin, and it was going together much faster than Anna had indicated. She watched him working and couldn’t help but notice, whatever had fixed him, had returned him to excellent health. “You want some water?” she called over to him.

David looked over, blinking sweat out of

his eyes. He pulled his shirt off and used it to dry his face. Her eyes widened, healthy didn’t begin to cover it. She knew men who worked hard for a living all day, but most didn’t look like that. It had to be a combination of abundant food when he was young, and good medical care, and whatever they did to him where he went, because she thought herself in fairly good health, but maybe she needed to pay that place a visit. His eyes focused on her, “Well, actually yes, but we need to boil it first. I haven’t started the fire yet even. If you are looking for something to do, a small fire and boil some water to drink, maybe

make some tea? There are tea bags in my pack.”

She looked at him, “Why boil it? Wouldn’t it be more refreshing cold from the stream?”

David stopped and looked at her as if she were crazy and then looked as if he had just realized something. “Ah germ theory is not discovered yet in the time period of your book. Once the water is on to boil, if you would like me to explain... well... it can save your life.” He smiled at her. “Just don’t drink anything until it has been boiled. After I explain, you’ll want me to prove it, and I can, but I’ll need

tools from the real world to do it, so until then just trust me on this, ok?”

“OKAAYY...If that is what you want. I think you would just rather have tea. You know you could have just said that, I’m a gracious hostess, and am happy to accommodate my guests.” she smiled at him.

David barked a laugh, “If that gets me what I need for now, then fine, but I am serious. Don’t drink the water until it has been boiled. It can be very dangerous. If you need to do that to humor me as well, then please do.”

Overhearing the back and forth, Anna came up to Violet to help gather up some of the bamboo scraps that David had piled up from his efforts, and get the fire started. “You know he isn’t joking about the whole water thing.” She explained germ theory to her and all the gory details.

Violet put her hand over her mouth. “Tiny animals in the water? I think I’m going to be sick, anyway!”

They hadn’t heard David approaching, bringing them another bundle of bamboo scraps until he barked a laugh, “They’ve been in every drop you’ve drunk since birth. Your body just gets

used to the ones that live where you live and they don’t make you sick, but if you go to somewhere else, then the strange bunch that the body doesn’t know come in and throw a wild party, and well bad things happen.” he winked at her. “You know how the sailors put some rum in the water barrels to keep them from going bad? Turns out a little rum kills off the little animals. Your people have been doing things to use this process for a long time, you just didn’t know all the details. It is how wine is made, and cheese, and bread, you eat these little animals all the time.” He laughed again at the look on her face. “Remind me when I stop for tea, and I’ll pull out the ebooks I’ve got stored, and show you

some things. For now, I want to get the roof on before the sun sets.”

Anna called over to him as he was walking away, “That one is much bigger.” She said it as a statement, but everyone heard the question in it.

David shrugged, “Finally feel good. I can work now for the first time in years, it feels good to build it. Besides, who knows, if it is nice, maybe we stay a bit longer than a week and enjoy a bit of snorkeling.”

Anna shook her head, “You’re not giving up on this are you?”

David gave her another shrug as he wired in place another rafter, “If you go back to a normal life, and take the bookmark with you, the adventure ends. Just when I am finally feeling up to actually doing something about it. You only saw me old and half crippled up, now the worlds can tremble at my might, bwhahaha.” He grinned at her and found her grinning back, though Violet watched them both confused.

She caught that David was playing up melodrama, but how he was going about it, must be something that had happened

culturally after her time. She was so frustrated, it seemed that there was so much to learn, and every time she thought she had a handle on it, she would learn exactly how little she actually knows. David didn’t seem to mind, he caught her eye and winked, and just went back to work

*

Itch Education

As the sun was setting, David stretched out by the fire in front of his little cabin and realized his muscles were SORE like he hadn’t been in a while. The new body was able to do amazing things but today

he had overdone it. He moaned softly as he rolled to his side and he heard Anna giggle at him. He sighed. “Yeah, I pushed it a little hard today. It just felt so good to be able to do things again. You young people don’t understand, can never understand, and honestly it is one of the reasons I don’t want to give up the bookmark and traveling, In a few years I can’t believe that whatever they did to us to boost us, won’t need tinkered with. In the books it never said, but they also were hitting the slab every few years between missions. That also might not be the best world to draw from either. I made time to speed read the other books in the series, and there are no good guys in this, not

really. Eventually, they are going to want more from us than we will want to give them.”

Anna cut in, “I didn’t say we wouldn’t go ever again, just that I didn’t want it to be my life.” Then she hurried to add, “Or hiding out all the time either! You might not mind being alone, but...” she trailed off not saying anything.

David barked a laugh, “What you didn’t get your itch scratched in Vegas?”

“NO!” Anna snapped back offended, then her mouth dropped open, “What you did?!”

David looked at her as if she had lost her mind, “It was Vegas, it had been months, and I had a brand new body to work with... duh, of course I did.” He shrugged, “I checked the web, they had some pharmaceutical sales conference at the other end of the strip. Most of the time, those are early thirties women who peddle their pills. Attractive so they can flirt a bit with the doctors. It’s all big business, and the women get big money for it so if they’ve got to lay it on a little extra thick for a doctor, well it isn’t like most of them wouldn’t sleep with a doctor on the chance of landing him, anyway. So I went down to the pool strutted around, made up a story about being there to show off an anti aging

drug, bragged about its other ‘side effects’ and well it didn’t take long.” he shrugged again. “Normally I wouldn’t stoop to such tactics, but I was in a hurry, and those girls have been screwing over people like me for decades. I figured a bit of turn about was fair play. So I got done with them, told them I would see them later after the event, and made my way back to our hotel.”

Violet looked confused, “Them? You did this more than once?”

David snorted a laugh, “No, I convinced them it wasn’t a real test unless there were at least three of them.”

Anne made a face, “You’re disgusting!”

Violet was a bit pale, “One right after the other?”

David sighed, “I’m sorry Violet, I forget you’ve been a bit sheltered. I’d spare you some embarrassment and have Anne explain it to you, but she would make it sound all dirty. No, we were all there together, at the same time. It’s a lot of fun, and even if Miss Moral Majority over here won’t admit it, at her age, I’ll bet she’s tried more than one person in the bed at least once in her life. Maybe not for more than just a little slap a tickle, but she’s protesting way too much. I think more for your sake than

mine. I’d offer to explain it more to you, but let’s be honest, it’s gotten awkward. Maybe another time. If you want someone who will catch you up on some of the social changes you’ve missed, I’ll fill you in anytime, and” he put a hand up to stop Anna’s outburst, “before you say it, only as much practical training as she asks for. I don’t need to try to force myself on anyone. I did just fine before by health went down hill, and now that I’m back, I’ll be just fine again. So save the knee jerk feminist victimhood whining for someone who cares to listen to it,” he shook his head, “I’m an adult, I’m too old for it. Won’t deal with it. Women want me on my terms, or I’ll find another who does. It just ain’t that serious. Hell, those new robots that

they’ve just come out with will make the whole issue moot in two years. Soon as the price comes down to be less than the cost of a divorce, no man is going to want to deal with a woman unless he has it in advance, and in writing that she isn’t going to be a problem for him down the road. I really don’t know how we’re going to get the next generation, not unless things change dramatically, because I just can’t see men risking it again... not after the last forty years.” He shrugged.

Anna rolled her eyes, “Oh you poor baby. Got it so bad.”

David let out a low chuckle, “All you know of the world is what they have told you, and so much of it is half truths and even some out right lies, designed to manipulate you. You have nothing to compare it to though, so who can blame you for buying in lock, stock, and barrel? Of course by the time you have experienced enough of life to have started to learn better, life has used you up, and you either have to admit that everything you believed was wrong and you were responsible for what happened to you, or you have to continue to take the easy path and blame men. In my experience, the results are about split on that, but it is past the years of forming families and raising kids and having an impact on

the next generation. By the time the ones who wise up do, the damage is done.” Seeing the storm clouds building in her face, he just smiled at her and shook his head, “You can disagree with me all you want. You will have no way of knowing if I am right for another twenty-five or thirty years, and as I say, by then that part of your life will be over. I’m turning in for the evening. I’m not going to change your mind in one night, no matter how much evidence I present. It doesn’t work that way. Yell if you need me.” He rolled groaning to his feet and stumbled toward his sleeping mat.

* * *

Moonlight Swim

After David left the fire, she talked more with Anna. She was scandalized by David’s comments, but no less so by Anna’s conversation with her afterward. These ideas that Anna expressed, that she seemed to think just normal for “all women”. Violet had never heard such nonsense. David’s comments were crazy, but if all women in what they called the real world were like Anna, she could start to see how he could think that the world would be like that. Men and women always had a hard time talking, because men didn’t understand the important things, though if she were being fair, she supposed they would say

the same thing about women. Just to let it get as far as these two seemed to think that it had, that made no sense.

In her world, men had their domain, and women had their’s, and things mostly went smoothly as long as each obeyed the rules and didn’t interfere with the other’s area of influence. She hadn’t really ever thought about it overly much growing up, it was just how things were, but tonight her mind wouldn’t shut off. She had lay in her hammock and tried to sleep for a long time, but sleep just wouldn’t come. It was a warm night too, so she decided that since the moon was full, she would

for a quick dip in the ocean and cool off.

She put on the scandalously small ‘swimsuit’ that Anna had helped her to buy. Everyone was asleep any way, so no one would see, she figured, and she made her way down to the beach. The surf was a little cold actually, but it felt good given the heat of the night. She had waded in a little over knee deep, so that the waves were able to soak her down good without splashing her in the face. The light ocean breeze would blow and feel so cool on her wet skin. She was just in that dreamy state of enjoying the sensations when about

twenty feet away, a silhouette of a man stood up out of the water. She gasped in shock and was about to scream, when she recognized the familiar voice.

David called out, “It’s ok, it’s just me. Anna, Violet? Sorry, I can’t see who it is in the dark.”

Violet let out a sigh, “It’s Violet. You scared me! I didn’t know you were out here. I thought you would be sleeping after your hard day of work.”

David grunted half amused. “I probably should be, but the new mods heal this body faster than the old one, even when

it was young. I still could probably use some sleep, but I’m not sore anymore and I woke up hungry, so I snagged a coconut, then decided I wanted a swim. Didn’t expect to see anyone out here either. You want some company?”

He had asked the last question with no hint of expectation in his voice. She thought about it. She actually would like time to be with David, but she wasn’t sure it was a good idea. “Out here? In the dark? With no chaperone? That’s not exactly proper, now is it?”

To her surprise, he actually laughed. “Those old rules really don’t apply in the world you’re a part of now. For better or

worse, no one would think less of you for nearly any choice you made right now. Oh some few people would judge you, but those are the same people who would find some flaw to pick at anyway. By flaw I mean, that you’re prettier than they are, or smarter, or richer, or more socially connected, or whatever.” again he snorted in derision. “People will always talk, so these days most people don’t care, or even if they do, they don’t show it. Point is, if you want company, even if this were a public beach in the middle of a city, it isn’t a big deal. Here where it is just us, it is no problem at all. If anything, there is a bigger chance that Anna will think that it was me taking

advantage of your innocence, if anything more exciting than a swim between friends happened.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“I wasn’t....”

David’s laugh cut her off, “I’m not putting the moves on you! Eh, trying to push toward a more intimate relationship with you.” His tone became more serious, “Honestly, I would enjoy very much teaching you some of the things about this world in that area that you’re going to need to know, and frankly it is dangerous to leave you ignorant of, but that needs to be your decision. I can’t offer what your culture has taught you to expect comes with those things. This new

culture that you are in, well you’re ill equipped for as you are, but Anna would be right that it would be taking advantage of you to trick you, or push you into exploring these things before you’re ready.”

It was Violet’s turn to sigh in frustration, “Ready? I’m practically a spinster! If it hadn’t been for that damn war, I would have been married years ago!” Realizing that in her frustration she had voiced her thoughts aloud, both hands flew to her mouth in horror at her outburst.

David cleared the distance between them in a flash, and took her in his

arms. In a firm voice he told her, “You are not a spinster! Don’t you ever say that about yourself again!” In a softer tone he continued. “You are very beautiful, and desirable. A man would be lucky to have you by his side. It is just that what I have decided I want from MY SECOND CHANCE, isn’t going to be bound by the ridiculous social conventions that saddled me the first time through. My faith has certain expectations of me, and I will abide by them, but if it was good enough for King David, a man after G-d’s own heart, then it will be good enough for me. So I cannot offer you that which you are socially conditioned to expect, and I will not lie to you about it. Never

doubt that you are beautiful inside and out. The woman who wrote you into the story, wrote you to be painfully beautiful inside and out, so that your loss would be a tragedy that would move her readers. It moved Anna enough that she told me about you, and we came into the book to save you. Never let anyone make you doubt your value.” He gently kissed her on her forehead, and made to pull away, but she clung to him tightly and didn’t let go.

She whispered into his chest, “I don’t know how much I am ready to learn about this scary new world, but I do

know that I trust YOU to show me. Will you show me?”

David kissed her forehead one more time, “We go slow. You can say stop at any time, and we stop. We have rules, you try everything twice. Sometimes the first time nerves are just a little too much to relax and really know if you like it or not, but if you don’t, then you tell me that you don’t like it. You let me worry about what people say or think, if anyone has a problem, or says anything to you, you send them to me, especially Anna.” He pulled back enough so that he could tilt her face up and look down into her eyes, “Can you live with these

rules? Do you agree to them?” She nodded. “No, I need to hear you say yes. This is important.”

“Yes” it came out as a whisper. Her mind was spinning and her voice wasn’t wanting to work at all. She hadn’t been held like this by any man before and certainly not when she was practically naked, and he was.... was he, oh, oh my, he actually was naked she just realized. They had moved deep enough in the water that she hadn’t seen, and the way he had held her she hadn’t noticed, but when she shifted to look in his eyes, she felt his excitement at holding her and realized he was swimming nude. Now

she really couldn’t speak!

Calmly he asked her “Do you have anything you think we need to add to the ground rules?”

She knew here eyes must have gone as wide as saucers when she realized what was rubbing on her stomach. How the hell could he be so calm? Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest at any moment. She shook her head, then part of her remembered he wanted to hear her, and croaked, “I can’t think of anything.”

He smiled down at her, then he lowered his mouth and kissed between her eyes,

and over her eyelids, just light kisses his beard tickling her nose. The kisses came faster as he moved down her face and became passionate and insistent when he found her lips. She couldn’t breathe, yet he didn’t stop! He moved along her jaw line and back to her neck and she gasped. Air seeming to fill her lungs again, but her breathing was coming in ragged gasps. The whole time his hands were on her body, not anywhere overly sexual, but just firm and possessive, moving her where he wanted her so his kisses could reach best. She felt her whole body just oozing under his hands like butter on a hot day.

Before her befuddled mind could register what was happening, he had

her in his arms, and they were half way up the beach moving back to his cabin, his lips never leaving her body. Her mind felt like it was going to melt at any moment. As he lay her down, she reached for the rock hard member jutting proudly between them, but he caught her hand and moved it away laughing. “That's an advanced class dear, I said slow, and I meant it. Tonight we’re covering kissing, and maybe the joy of nipples. You’re not allowed to make any life-altering decisions in the middle of the night with little sleep and in a flush of hormones. For now, let’s see just exactly how far I can take you with just this first lesson.”

At her whimper of mild frustrated complaint that was muffled in his kiss, she could feel his satisfied chuckled as it rumbled through his ribs.

* * *

Ridiculous

The sun was already high in the sky by the time Anna crawled out of her hammock. She made a run to the beach to take care of her morning routine as quickly as possible. As she returned, she was surprised to still find no one moving about camp. She checked Violet’s

hammock, and it was empty. She went to check on David’s little cabin, and came up empty there as well. She was just starting to get a little concerned when she saw a rather shocking sight.

David was walking up the beach toward her dragging a fully loaded contraption he had made from bamboo, but what was shocking to her, was trailing behind him wearing only the swimsuit that she had been completely scandalized by when they bought it, and one of his button-down shirts to protect her shoulders from the sun, was Violet. She was all smiles and talking with him as if they had been long-lost friends. Anna thought back, they had always been polite to each other but never ‘close’.

Something was definitely different. She watched them closer. David looked more relaxed too. It was hard to tell anything with him, since he had gotten his new body, he moved with a new confidence, and certainly without the limp or the obvious pain he had before... No this was different. He was enjoying himself, maybe a little too much. Hmm... she couldn’t help but wonder if he was taking advantage of Violet. The woman certainly wouldn’t understand some of the modern ways, and David had already admitted that when he was younger, he was a player. Looking at him now, she could see how.

When they got closer Violet waved excitedly, “We found oranges!” she

called out.

David brought the little sled thing up and let it fall once they reached the shade of the palm trees by the fire pit. As he flexed his hands, he just smiled at her. She cautiously smiled back, “You two got an early start.”

David gave her a crooked grin, “Figured you’d want your beauty sleep. Glad too, was worth every moment of the sacrifice.” He had the nerve to give her a little wink.

“Smart ass.” she retorted.

He laughed, “What? Can’t a man pay you a compliment? I thought it was better than asking if you planned to sleep the day away, sleepy head.”

She shook her head, “I look a wreck. I’ve got no make up. There isn’t a shower here. Not even a mirror, so I can comb out my hair right....”

David cut off her list of complaints, “Stop.” He chuckled, “If you need another compliment you don’t have to go fishing for it, I’m not stingy. You’re beautiful naturally.” At her dangerous look, he laughed harder and shook his head, holding up his hands in surrender. “I’m serious. Relax, this is supposed to be

a chance to just take a minute and collect our thoughts. They can’t catch us here, and the only thing we have to worry about is the head hunters, but they only come to the other side of the island, and I’m not crippled up anymore, and I’m armed. So unless there are more than about,” his face wrinkled up in thought, “say fifty of them, it really isn’t much of a threat, even if they did find us. I could certainly hold them off long enough for us to bounce back to the real world and out of their reach. So with no real threats facing us. No where we have to be. No shortage of food or drink.” He shrugged.

“I’ll have the last of the cabin done by lunch now that I’ve collected what I need.” he said gesturing to the pile.

“Once the travois is unloaded, you girls can use it if you want to go gather sea shells or coconuts, or more palm fronds to do those cool little grass skirts with... what ever you want to do.” He sat down by the fire and dropped a few dried coconut husks into it. “Then, we can talk a bit more tonight. Tomorrow I will do some training, try to see if I can’t knock the rust off after a decade of letting the skills go mostly unused. Maybe do some fishing. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

She arched an eyebrow, “Oh, and where does time with Violet fit in to that?”

David shook his head, his voice deepened and went flat, “Where ever she decides it does. Same goes for you

by the way. I made it clear to her, and now I am going to make it clear to you, I am not willing to promise any woman what they have come to culturally expect is their due. Any time you get with me will be on my terms. They will be fair, honest, up front, and you will know exactly what you are getting into before you get into, whether that is a business deal, friendship, or anything more, but it will all be spelled out in detail on both sides, and expect nothing more, nor nothing less. I’ve got a second chance at life, and I am not going to live it bound bound by someone else’s expectations. I answer to only one force greater than myself, and don’t assume your Sunday School teacher gave you any idea of what He actually requires of those who follow Him. As I have said

before, if it was good enough for King David, or Joshua clearing the promised land, then it is good enough for me. All of that timid garbage that has been injected by those who would use it to rule over us, isn’t going to shackle me. Nor is some woman going to come along and ‘civilize’ me, rather she will join to MY house if she comes at all. I am not going to be some crazy tyrant, but I’ll be damned if I waste my life a second time around.” He looked her in the eyes, “You can’t understand this yet, but one day you will. Luckily, as long as you still have access to that bookmark, you too will get your crack at a second chance to fix it. At your age, while you still haven’t experienced certain things yet, you can’t know what that means...” He shook his head and stood up. “I need to get

started, if I am going to be done by lunch like I planned. If you have questions about Violet, go talk to Violet. Give her what warnings you think best. I think she should have all the information she possibly can have before making any decisions. Nothing worse in this world than regrets.”

She sat there watching him just walk away. She was stunned. What the hell had gotten in to him. He was talking crazy talk. This was just ridiculous!

* * *

What Was He Supposed To Do

Violet was carrying water back to the fire to put it on to boil, when she saw David stand up to head back to the cabin to finish working on it. Even from this distance, she could see the look on Anna’s face and knew that they had been arguing again. She regretted taking the time to splash in the river and wash off the sweat from the morning’s walk. It was like she couldn’t leave those two alone for a minute. What made it worse was that she knew that they didn’t even dislike each other, but it always seemed to be something. David was set in his ways, but men got like that,it was just how they were. Her father certainly was, and it wasn’t so bad usually, certainly

not worth arguing with them over every little thing. Anna couldn’t let him have anything though, everything had to be her way, and in a lot of ways, her way was crazy. Violet didn’t know of any other woman who thought like that. It just seemed unnatural.

She barely got the buckets sat down, when Anna started in. “So, what’s with you and David? Don’t lie, I saw the looks you two were giving each other.” Her tone sounded teasing, and she had a smile on her face, but Violet could still hear something was off. It wasn’t quite a note of accusation in her voice, but maybe a hint of disapproval.

Violet shrugged, “We both ended up going for a swim last night, and we talked. He’s actually very interesting.”

“So, you talked.” Anna’s tone made her lack of belief completely apparent.

Violet blushed, “Yes!” Then in a lower voice she added, “He also agreed to teach me some of the things about the modern world, and its, um, social aspects, that I am not up to speed on.” She poured the water from the pails into the pots over the fire, very careful to look busy, and not look at Anna.

“Ah ha! I knew it! He seduced you

didn’t he! Dirty old codger! He should be ashamed of...”

She didn’t get to finish her statement before Violet cut her off, “He most certainly did no such thing! We talked, and he agreed to give me lessons. Yes there was kissing...okay, a lot of kissing.” she giggled. “He is no ‘old codger’ I’ll have you know. He made sure to know that we would stop at any time I said stop, and I’m a little embarrassed to say, he wouldn’t let things go as far as I wanted them to go. He said I needed time to reflect on the first lesson and be sure of what I wanted when I wasn’t flooded with something called hormones, whatever that is. Down right stubborn about it too. I won’t say he

was a gentleman, because I don’t think gentlemen kiss like that, at least none I ever met. Whew, I didn’t know it could be like that! He just put everything below the waist off limits for the night. So don’t accuse him of taking advantage of me, because I was certainly ready to do more.”

Anna snorted, “He was on a power trip that is all. It is a dominance play for men. They get you all worked up, then don’t satisfy you. He was just enjoying his power over you! Don’t be so gullible.”

Violet looked at her in wonder. “I declare, is there anything he could have done that would have been right in your eyes? Had

he ravished me, he would have been seducing someone too backward and stupid to know her own mind, but since he did not despite my insistence that he do so, he was only trying to control me? What on Earth is a man supposed to do in this real world of your?”

Anna was exasperated, “It isn’t like that! I didn’t say you were stupid!”

Violet gave her a meaningful look, “Really? It sure sounded like it to me. Even so, you didn’t answer my question, what was he supposed to do? As I just pointed out, you found fault with both choices.”

Anna rolled her eyes, “He could have left you alone, he is old enough to be your father! Eww!” she wrinkled her nose.

It was Violet’s turn to imitate Anna’s snort, “I understand that he had some health issues before, but what ever you two did when you got your new body, worked wonders on him too. I knew men half his age who were no where near as well built as he is, and you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed, because I have caught you looking too! More than that, he has kissing like liquid fire, at least the one’s that aren’t like lightening.” Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, “He was kissing my breasts,

and he put a nipple between his lips and then he hummed...ahh.. I thought the world was going to explode all around me.”

Anna chuckled, “Sounds like there is nothing wrong with the old dog’s techniques then. Just wait until he does the same thing, BELOW the waist.”

Violet’s eyebrows shot up as her eyes went wide, “What!?” her voice cracking. Then she realized she had squeaked that loud enough to be heard by David all the way at the cabin, brought her voice back down to a whisper, “Down THERE? Really?”

Anna laughed out loud at the look on her friend’s face, “Oh yeah. Nothing quite like it. If you’re sure you want to do this,” she was shaking her head, “then we should probably talk about what to do when he points his in your face” Violet saw Anna fight to restrain the giggles as she felt her eyes get even wider, but she couldn’t help it, she leaned in with interest.

* * *

Life Goals

Feeling his stomach growl, David knew it was time to eat. He had done all he really should do on the cabin for no longer than they would be staying here, and the enhanced healing mods and what not that he had opted for during his time on the slab, had obviously come at a metabolic cost. He made a mental note that finding a way to carry a ready source of calories had just gone up the priority level. Especially if he were going to be in a book where he wouldn’t know the local plant life, or where the meat source might be alien and risky. Normally he preferred non-processed ‘real’ foods, but maybe it was time to

start thinking about an intentional mix of protein powders, fats, and simple sugars, just as a quick refuel option in a lightweight package.

He headed out of the cabin and toward the fire pit, thinking maybe if he was really lucky, one of the girls would have already had the lunch idea and gotten something started. Violet was a real possibility in that area, Anna, well... he wasn’t sure he would give those odds fifty/fifty. He hated to think of it that way. She wasn’t a bad girl, she had just had so many negative influences shaping her view of the world, that it was hard for her to see anything and not find fault with it in some way.

Conditioned to be the eternally oppressed victim, more than anything else that is why he thought it would be good for HER to keep traveling through the books. If she could see enough of the right kinds of environments, and responses to them, she might learn how good she has it, and who really is just using her. He mentally snorted at the thoughts bouncing around in his head, more than a half a century of experience with people hadn’t managed to completely rid him of the hope that people if not driven to evil, would choose to do that which is right. You would think he would have learned better by now.

His mood lightened considerably as he got closer to the fire, he could smell lunch cooking. He grinned widely, “Smells great! I’m starving!”

Both women jumped like they had been caught at something. Anna snapped at him, “Stop sneaking around like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

David laughed, “I wasn’t trying to sneak. What were you to up to, that had you so intent that you didn’t hear me?” he teased, cocking one eyebrow. He was a bit surprised with both women blushed.

“Nothing.” They both said in unison, a little too quickly.

Then Anna said, “Sweet and Sour Chicken for lunch. Chicken from a can, but we’re roasting bananas for the sweet, and orange slices for the sour, along with the handful of lemons we found.”

Violet dumped a double handful of banana peals in the fire as if she were hiding evidence, but for the life of him David couldn’t figure out what had gotten into them. “I don’t think that they were true bananas, but pawpaws, but they should taste just as good, and the rice is already done and just cooling. It should all be ready to eat in just a few minutes.” Violet said.

David decided what ever it was, it must not be too serious and decided to let it go. They ate lunch and it turned out to be a bit exotic tasting, but not in a bad way, just unfamiliar. He brought up the dreaded conversation again while they were eating. “So, I got to thinking, maybe there is a way we can all get what we want. Okay, all get MOST of what we want. Anna wanting to go back to school and get a normal life, that isn’t crazy, short sighted in my opinion, but not crazy. So, my thought was, if we make a run somewhere that we can get something valuable enough that we can sell it for the proverbial, ‘one big score.’ Then we find a quiet country, with a good university, and we set Anna up a fake identity there and probably one for

Violet too. Buy a little house out in the country, set up a little base.” He shrugged.

He looked to Anna, “This is were it gets hard for you. I take the bookmark, and I keep traveling. I just commit to checking back in a couple to three times a year, just to make sure no one is nosing around, causing you problems. If no, then we visit for a bit catch up on things, and I go away again. If there is a problem, we take steps. You stay protected, and get your normal life, assuming you’re not hunting for me three weeks in as you go mad with boredom”

David was completely unsurprised with Anna didn’t want to give up the bookmark, but didn’t want to use it either. She was at least adult enough to understand that, that was an unreasonable position to take, she just wasn’t sure what to do about it. David didn’t like where his thoughts were going about it. He didn’t save Anna to steal from her, but he also couldn’t see going back on the road, where he would be a sitting duck for that shadowy organization, should they ever figure out what happened. It wasn’t a good situation, they all knew it, but no one was coming up with a better solution. There was no solution that was perfect,

short of finding another bookmark, and that was so unbelievably unlikely as to not be worth discussing.

* * *

Practice

The touchy subject of what to do after their time on the island was dropped after lunch. No further progress was likely to be made on it anyway, besides the work was done for the day, it was time to spend some time relaxing. Maybe a little time thinking about something besides the problems, would bring solutions.

David quickly fashioned himself a rudimentary training area. It wasn’t the best or fancy and even the practice weapons were the wrong weights, but mostly it was just seeing if the muscle memory was still there. After all it had been more than a decade, and no one could deny that the changes to his body were significant. At first he was mildly annoyed that he had an audience. Both ladies had added some rum that they had brought with them to the fresh squeezed oranges, and added it all into newly opened coconuts. Sitting back in the shade, they found great entertainment watching him sweat his way through old practice routines. Giggling as he would make minor errors, swear at himself and begin again.

He pushed himself hard, but to be honest, he wasn’t upset with his own progress. Mostly, it was just a matter of remembering to stick to the fundamentals. All the little tricks that made the techniques work, things that were easy to omit over time, as one got more experienced and either did out of habit or got lazy and didn’t do, but was good enough that other skills made up for it. This time around, since it was more likely he would be using these skills for real, he was even more focused on making certain that each detail was done right each time. The old adage, practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect, he kept at the fore front of his mind.

After he had been at it for several hours, Anna called out, “I wanna try!”

David laughed, “Okay, tomorrow you can give it a try.”

“No, I meant now. I think I can take you.” she grinned at him.

“I think you’ve had too much liquid courage.” he teased back. “Seriously, if you want to learn some of the basics, it probably isn’t a bad idea. Maybe not the stuff you’ve seen me doing, but more fencing style. Don’t worry not that Olympic sport stuff, more the real thing like back in the day when it was done for keeps. It isn’t my strong suit, but I can

hum the tune enough to show you the basics and if you like it enough to want to learn more, I know some people.”

Violet held her chin up, “Daddy showed me how to use a saber. It didn’t look like what you were doing, but I’ll bet I’d give you a run for your money!”

David laughed again, “If you hadn’t been drinking, I’d let the two of you give it a try. Me without armor, using more broadsword style against the two of you with lighter faster styles...” he shrugged, “might tip the advantage in your direction enough to make it interesting.

We can try it tomorrow, when you’re sober, if you still want to.”

Anna looked at Violet, “I think he’s scared.” Her eyes widened, she knew better than to call a man a coward. In her world that was a quick path to serious pain.

David just laughed, “I am. I’m scared that one of you will get hurt, and there isn’t a doctor here. Even if you just trip, and stumble into a swing, that isn’t good. Anna, have you forgotten the last time you challenged me so soon?” He was starting to get annoyed at this. Anna had gone from playful to stubborn, and while he was tempted to give in and use the opportunity to switch her behind, it

wasn’t a good idea. Let her sober up, then if she still wanted to be a little shit, there was plenty of time to give her an education again. He looked over to Violet, “I got a better idea. I’m all sweaty. Why don’t we go for a swim instead. I think you’re both still sober enough for that, and I’m plenty sober enough to play lifeguard.”

Anna gave him a wicked grin, “Ohh, little mouth to mouth.”

David shook his head and just smiled, “What ever it takes. You know me, sacrifices I make for you girls.”

“Yeah! David the martyr!” Anna said, laughing and stripping off her clothes, as she was running toward the surf. “Well come on!”

David just looked over at Violet for a brief moment, flashed her a wicked grin, and started stripping down as well. He didn’t look back to see if she would follow. He thought to himself, this will be a good test for her. See if she can handle the situation now, before our ‘lessons’ go any further. I don’t want to hurt her, and if she can’t make the adjustment, it is better to know before she takes things too far.

The waves feel great washing away the heat and the sweat of the workout. He

had to fight himself not to turn around too soon. He gave it a good half a minute in the water before he looked back to the beach. He felt a broad grin of pride break out across his face. She hadn’t stripped down all the way. She was still wearing a pair of shorts, but that was all and she was at a full run toward the water. All he could think was, ‘good, baby steps are fine. You have all the time in the world to get comfortable in your new life.’

* * *

Lessons

Violet was glad for the rum, because she wasn’t sure she would have had the nerve to be so brazen with Anna there with them without it. It got easier once they were in the water though. Then it was all just innocent play, or mostly innocent. David’s playful caresses were hidden beneath the water at least.

She was surprised how open Anna was. She didn’t exactly throw herself at David, but she was certainly far more... um playful maybe, than Violet was comfortable being with someone else there, and Violet had already decided that she would do whatever he asked of her. It really was quite shocking. David

didn’t seem surprised though, he just laughed it off and teased her about having too much to drink. Violet wasn’t sure that was what it was. Sure that might be what was bringing it to the surface now, but Violet couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she was feeling left out, or maybe she wanted him for herself, or maybe she was trying to manipulate him so he wouldn’t want to go away after they left the island. She didn’t know enough about the customs to understand the motives, but there was something more at play, she could tell that.

Dinner was even more rattling though, when they came out of the water, Anna

didn’t get dressed at all! She couldn’t even blame it on the rum, because Violet knew that they had both had time to sober up over an hour ago. Even David only pulled on a pair of shorts. When Anna teased him about being shy, David only laughed, “I’m not shy, I’ve been sunburned there before! Nope, never gonna happen again.”

Violet couldn’t help it, she could only imagine how that must have hurt, but the thought was funny. She tried to hold back the giggle, but couldn’t. Of course, Anna didn’t try to hold back. David only chuckled a little grimly, “Sure, laugh it up. It is a funny story now, but at the time I was in a world of hurt. Finally

manage to get some sleep, and well men have a normal reaction several times during a normal night...” he winced a bit at the memory, “when the sore, burned skin started to stretch, well, there went any excitement and of course any hope of sleep. I was pretty miserable. So no, I’m not shy, just cautious.” He smiled. “I’m no John Holms, but I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.” He shrugged, “Besides, anyone who wants to get all worked up over those kinds of things, pfff. I don’t need her. I had an ex-one time try to embarrass me by screaming at a party that she faked orgasms every time. I just laughed and said it must be something broke in her, because mine worked for me every time.”

Anna gasped, “That’s horrible!”

David shrugged, “So was what she was trying to do. I just refused to let her accomplish her goal. I won’t be shamed, demeaned, or derided. Not over things like that. I wouldn’t do it to a woman, even if we were no longer dating, and I won’t let them get by with trying to do it to me. It shows a lack of character. The ‘don’t hit the girl’ mindset has got most modern women thinking that they can say and do anything they want, regardless of ethics or propriety, without regard for consequence. That isn’t the case. I don’t have to hit them to pop their little egos. I don’t want to, it is wrong to do, on both sides. Foolish and childish, but actions must have consequences,

or civilized behavior breaks down.” He shrugged, “That is what you’re seeing out in the real world today, everyone has been so insulated and isolated from the consequences of their actions, that they behave like animals towards each other. I reintroduce consequence. Always have, but with this second chance...” his grin was down right evil, “thinking about changing my name, just so they have fair warning.”

Anna laughed, “Speaking of,” she held up a small squeeze bottle of honey from the grocery pack and waggled her eyebrows and glanced at Violet.

David took a deep breath, “Oh, wouldn’t that make an amazing desert. You can

ask, but it is my judgment that something like that would likely be a pretty advanced lesson. Still...” he looked to Violet who looked at him confused.

Anna smirked, “Oh Violet dear, can we use you for our desert plate?”

“W-what?” Violet stammered.

David reached out for her hand, and when she took it he drew her near so he could look her directly in the eye. “Anna wants to have some honey for desert. She wants to spread it on you,” he lightly grazed a nipple with the edge of his finger and felt it pucker in response,

“then she and I lick the honey clean. It is sticky, so it may take a few licks of course, and we may need to go back for seconds or thirds, she has a whole bottle there...”

He had watched her breathing deepen as he spoke and saw her trying to swallow to make her voice work, her eyes had gone just a little wild, though David could not tell for sure if it was from excitement or fear, or likely a little of both. When she finally found her voice she said, “B-but she’s a woman!” It came out in a bit of a strangled whisper.

David smirked, “Noticed that did you? Not much of that where you come from.

I understand. At least not that anyone would admit to.”

“Of course not, it’s a sin!” she said. Her voice only a little stronger.

David saw Anna stiffen at that and fought not to roll his eyes. Irritated almost as much by the ignorance of those who misinformed Violet as the knee jerk modern liberal reaction of Anna to be offended about someone not wanting to sin. “Well Violet, if that were true, I would agree that you shouldn’t do it, but there is no such prohibition. I read the book in the original languages I can assure you it isn’t in there.”

Violet quoted, “Man shall not lie with man as he lieth with a woman...”

David cut her off, “Exactly, men.” Violet started to make a face, as did Anna, each for different reasons, and this time he almost laughed instead. “I’d quote you the original Hebrew text, but since you don’t speak Hebrew you’ll just have to take my word for it, the word is the word for man as in the male of the species.” He shot a quelling look over at Anna, “There are even some who even argue that as long as two men don’t do certain prohibited acts, they aren’t violating it because they aren’t lying with a man ‘as with a woman’, I don’t personally buy that argument, but I can see how a good faith argument could be

made for it, so I figure that is between them and their Creator. I’m glad I’m not their judge in the matter. I’ve got enough of my own issues to deal with. But either way, that isn’t the case here, as both of you are most certainly all woman.” He smiled and winked at them.

“Think about it Violet. King Solomon, had more wives and concubines than he could get around to in two years if he visited one a night every night. That was going to be some lonely nights in those harems, it would have been cruel to expect those girls to be completely celibate. Only the Catholic Church would be that cruel. Same thing for a

smaller family, if the two of you were both married to me, or as Sarah and Haggar, a wife and a concubine, I could see each of you on separate nights and half of the nights of our marriage each of you would be sleeping alone in a cold empty bed. Or we could all be together, if a man and a wife become one flesh, one joins one and becomes one that joins one and becomes one. Essentially being with your husband’s wife, is like being with your husband. At least that is how the legal argument goes from one school of thought. So sin, no. Your church just quit keeping most of the commandments they were given, and made up new commandments that Rome gave them instead. So if you don’t want to do this, don’t do it. I think it is probably a bit much for you this early on in learning

about who you are sexually, but if you just fear that you are violating the commandments, believe me when I tell you, I have read the Commandments, this isn’t something that concerns me.”

Violet’s eyes were wide. “I never knew. Um,” she looked over to Anna, “can maybe we let me learn men first?”

Anna laughed at the look on her face, “Of course! But, when you’re done with him tonight, do you mind if I borrow him for just a few minutes. I really only need a quickie.”

* * *

Light of Day

David was mildly amused, morning came and watching both women go out of their way not to make eye contact with the other was making for great entertainment, so long as it didn’t go too far. Being a little awkward and uncomfortable was fine at first, it would teach them how to overcome it. If avoiding each other went on too much longer though, he would step in and smooth it out.

Turned out Violet wasn’t quiet when the moment arrived, again and again and again. His smug self-satisfied smirk wasn’t helping things he knew, Violet blushed every time he caught her

looking at him. He couldn’t help it though, he was pleased with how things worked out. He knew beyond any doubt that Anna had been counting while poor Violet was learning exactly what was possible, even without losing her virginity. When he turned to Anna, he could see the pump was already primed. He has suspected the ‘quickie’ had been her way of getting under Violet’s skin, but it had been a while for her as best he could figure. With the intense way she had been paying attention to he and Violet, she was more than ready, but he wasn’t ok with just a standard “quickie”. David had taken control of the situation right off, and wouldn’t let her set the pace. It had driven her to next levels of desperation, so that when he did finally let her let go, and push her over the

edge, she thrashed around like a woman possessed. Having let go of their reserve so thoroughly in front of each other, they both feared judgment from the other woman. He shook his head, he didn’t know which was sicker, that society would be set up in a way to make this most natural of thing, into something that should be ashamed of, or that it was the women themselves who took on the role of policing it.

He was just about to start muttering to himself about the whole situation when a moment of clarity hit him out of the blue. He found a parallel to something that he could understand. Men did it too, but on a different topic. For men it was weakness. Men weeded out the

sissies among them in this fashion. It was a biological imperative involved with men, the weaker ones couldn’t be counted on to defend the tribe so by applying pressure you either toughened them up, or you broke them. He stopped everything and went to find a spot where he could do some thinking. He could feel that he had a thread here, and if he pulled on it, he might just unravel a mystery.

If men’s actions had a biological purpose, did women’s? Even if it had been culturally twisted or perverted, was there something that this instinct was supposed to be doing, that now it wasn’t because it was being directed at making them feel guilty for sex in

general? He knew plenty of women who had gotten over it. Exhibitionists didn’t count, they weren’t over it, they simply enjoyed the thrill of violating the taboo. What healthy thing was this shame supposed to be protecting them from , or making them get better at, but now they weren’t getting the right signal because it had come in corrupted as slut shaming? He could feel the answer taunting him sitting just beyond his ability to reason it out.

He didn’t get the chance to figure it out. Breaking through his concentration he heard the women’s voices loud and yelling. Leaping to his feet he headed around the side of the cabin to see what the hell was going on. He was expecting

to find them arguing over something stupid as a substitute for the real issue hanging between them. Instead, he found them scrambling away from a European man, and a native boy of about ten or eleven years of age. The ladies were scrambling for something to cover up more than the swimsuits that each were wearing.

Seeing the musket held casually in Carusoe’s hand, and the spear in Friday’s, David cursed himself for not arming himself before he came around the cabin and in to view, but they had gotten so used to having this section of the island to themselves, he had forgotten that they were not completely

alone. While not a complete barbarian, social norms were vastly different between him and Carusoe. To make matters worse, Carusoe was armed, and given the way he treated Friday in the book, there was little doubt he would seek to set himself up as ‘lord of the manor’ here with them as well. Over David’s dead body if need be. Certainly, that wouldn’t be his first choice, but he wouldn’t see the Jewish man as an equal, and he wouldn’t allow the competition for being on the top of the food chain.

As their eyes met, David knew he was out of time to think. He needed to implement a plan, and it had better work.

* * *

Full of Surprises

After last night, Anna was having a hard time putting into words the emotions running through her head. Violet kept looking at her like she was expecting her to say something, but what could she say? She had planned to scratch an itch with David, and prove to Violet that men were dogs, all at the same time. Maybe open Violet’s eyes to some basic facts of life.

Her plan had all gone sideways when her body betrayed her, and she enjoyed herself a hell of a lot more than she expected. Being with a man who had been there and done that but still had the

body to do it again, wasn’t something she had been prepared for. More than that though, he had treated both of them like they were important to him. It wasn’t just a man getting what he wanted. He got that, but somehow there was room in his heart for them both. She didn’t want to call it love, because it didn’t fit the normal thing she thought about when she thought about love, but it was a kissing cousin. Until she could understand it herself, how could she possibly talk to Violet about it?

When Violet started screaming, she wasn’t sure what had happened. Then she looked up and she couldn’t help it, she screamed too. The man approaching

looked wild, and he had a big gun in his hand. He had said something, but while she thought it was in English, the accent had been so thick, and the words so rushed, that she couldn’t have told you what he said. She was backing away looking for something to cover up, as she didn’t care for the look in his eye as he took in her exposed flesh.

She heard a noise off to her left, and then she heard David’s voice, deep, calm, and seemingly without a concern in the world. “Ah, Mr. Carusoe, and young Master Friday. So good of you to join us. If I had known you were coming, I would have been more prepared. Please excuse the ladies, as they go into the cabin to make themselves presentable

for guests. Perhaps you could accompany me in the meantime while we discuss the issue of the far side of the island?”

Anna blinked twice before she could react at all. When she heard the man’s thickly accented English say, “How is it good sir, that you come to know my name?” she motioned to Violet, and they both made a dash for the cabin and the packs inside. Once there, they quickly dressed in clothing which while unlikely to be less shocking for their guests, would at least be less revealing.

Anna found what she was looking for in David’s pack, and Violet looked at her in alarm as she saw he pull out the forty

five caliber semiautomatic pistol. Anna wasn’t a gun nut by any stretch, but she had been shooting before. She checked to be sure that there was ammunition in the magazine, and that the magazine was seated in the well properly. She racked the slide and was surprised to find that David stored his pistol with a round in the chamber. Taking the safety off, she was very careful to keep her finger off the trigger, and she hid her hand as much as she could in the flowing shirt she was wearing.

She saw David look at her as they were approaching, he kept Carusoe occupied kneeling down looking at a crude map of the island that David was drawing in

the sand. Anna walked up behind them, raised the pistol, and with it only a foot from the back of the kneeling man’s head, she pulled the trigger. As she pulled the trigger, in her own mind it was like she was watching someone else do it. The blast of the shot she felt hit her in the chest. She heard Violet’s panicked scream. She hadn’t told Violet her plan. She hadn’t told David either, but she was pretty sure he hadn’t thought about doing anything different himself at the first opportunity.

She watched the body crumple forward in slow motion. From a corner of her awareness, she saw David snatch Friday’s spear in one hand, and deliver

the child a savage punch with the other. The boy crumpled to the ground unconscious. Violet was still in hysterics. She could hear someone saying something to her, but she couldn’t quite understand the words. Then she felt a tugging in her hands, and the weight of the pistol was gone. She was coming back to herself more and more, as David took back possession of his pistol, she saw him put it on safe, and tuck it in his waistband. Finally his words came through, “...come back Anna. It’s ok, everything is going to be ok.”

She blinked, “I’m fine. I think. I’ve just never done anything like that before. I need to...” and then she made a dash for some room, every thing she

had eaten that day was making a reappearance.

When she finally got control of herself, she could hear David calming Violet back down. “Not exactly how I would have done it, but it needed to be done. It is okay, he’s a book character.”

Violet wailed, “So am I, do you think so little of me too?”

“Shh, that isn’t what I meant and you should know it. He’s a book character, in this book. When we leave, he’ll reset and he’ll never even know this happened. If she hadn’t done that, and he would have

squabbled with one of us, he was the only one with that musket of his. If he shoots Anna or myself, we don’t come back. Even if he shoots you, the you that remembers everything from when we first met, that version of you, is gone forever, and I’m rather fond of her.” Anna watched him kiss her forehead and smooth her hair. She wished he would come smooth her hair too, but she wanted to show him how strong she was, so she didn’t let him see that she wanted that.

After just a few minutes to get everyone settled, David spoke up. “I know we were thinking about sticking around for another day or so, but I think maybe we

should go back to the real world. Want to find a remote place there and maybe try to build a camp like this? Say maybe down in the Florida keys, or maybe find a cold weather island up in northern Canada? Who knows, maybe both? We could set up with a few places to live in remote areas, and maybe a couple of places in cities where we could travel to if we need to? It isn’t good to stay here, and it isn’t good for either of you to be alone right now either, so what do you say?”

‘What do I say?’ she thought and wanted to scream at him, “I say this isn’t the normal life I wanted, but yeah, um, let’s get packed up. Maybe somewhere in

Australia would be a nice place to not draw too much attention for a little while. You two find a place out in the outback, and I can find a place maybe in Sydney? Pick up some classes at UTS?”

David nodded, “It could work. As long as I can make several supply runs along the way.” She saw the look David gave her and she knew exactly what he meant.

She sighed, “I don’t know what our future holds David, but never will I deny you the use of the bookmark, for any reason. Whether I agree with what you’re doing or not, just don’t go getting yourself killed somewhere and losing

it.” she winked at him. “Now please, can we get out of here? I really don’t want to be reminded of what I had to do here.”

A Normal Life

Coming back from class and picking up some groceries on her way to her little efficiency apartment in Sydney, Anna was enjoying being back at school. It was sort of odd having to start all over from scratch. After all, she couldn’t very well ask for her transcripts if she wanted to maintain her new identity. Still, it was nice not needing to worry about school loans or where her rent was going to come from.

David had turned out to be quite the provider. Letting him use the bookmark for his own ends had been hard on her trust issues. It had gone against everything that her father had ever taught her, but she had her nice little life here in the city, with regular funds appearing in her crypto wallet, and she was able to live pretty much how she had wanted to. He would show up unannounced for a few hours, every few days. Check in on her. Sometimes spend the night, and too often he would be gone before morning.

She knew she had no right to complain, he had taken her out to show her the little house he had built for her right

next to the one that Violet lived in. He also had one there too, though Violet said it was mostly for storage. They were crude little dwellings carved back into a set of cliffs. When she was feeling particularly like getting under his skin, she called it Flintstone sheik. It wasn’t like that at all really. It was more like a tiny eco-village, with some pretty cool things snagged from historic books, and some sci/fi books to make it pretty comfortable living. The science fiction books were a bit of a mixed bag though. She was there the first time he had come home with some ray gun, and tested it, and it turned out to be a toy in this world. She had laughed so hard that her sides nearly split. He finally sorted it all out though. It really came down to hard science fiction, where the ideas were

possible, but we just hadn’t learned how to make it work yet, and space opera fantasy items that were mere plot devices. The former would generally but not always work once he brought them back, and the latter usually would not. There was some bleed over in both categories, but that was the norm. Magical items usually worked along similar lines. If the “magical” effect was something that didn’t violate the laws of physics too badly, or at least physics could be bent to accommodate them, then they tended to sort of mostly work, but if it was just too fanciful or ran too counter to the laws of physics, then it simply turned into a toy or a movie prop.

Typical David though, he still managed to sell those to collectors for a fantastic sum. Then, with very careful financial wizardry, he was able to move the funds around the world in such a way that they had small sums sitting waiting for them under various names and full-fledged aliases, and in numbered accounts. She really was starting to be amazed by the layers of his preparations. She was pretty sure he was overreacting. They had had no one show up to try to steal back the bookmark in six months. As long as they did nothing to alert them to where they had gone, they should be fine.

She carried the groceries up and started to unlock her door, but it opened for her instead. David was standing there, and he pulled her inside, closing the door behind her. She leaned up to kiss him, but he pulled away. “Sorry, no time to play. Something has come up. I’ve come to take you out to stay with Violet where you’ll be safe until I handle it.”

“I can’t just take off, I’ve got classes!” What is this caveman shit he is pulling?

“Anna, Sophie’s been kidnapped. It doesn’t take much to guess who’s got her or why. I’m not letting them hurt my little girl. As long as they weren’t going after her, I was content to let her live her

life. It wasn’t like she and I were talking much.” He shrugged. “I won’t let them hurt her. She’s going to be pissed about having to uproot her life, but at least she’ll be alive. I can’t risk that they figure out some way to trace me back to here, and come after you while I’m dealing with it. You’ll be safe with Violet. I’ve made arrangements. When I’m done, I’ll join you both, and assuming our cover isn’t blown, you can come right on back to school. If it is, well, it just means we’ve got to start over again. We know how.”

Anna sighed, “Damn them! You’re right. I hate this, but go get your daughter. She doesn’t deserve any of this. Are you sure she is still alive?”

David snorted, “Oh yeah. They aren’t going to hurt her until they get what they want from me. I’m fairly sure I even know where they have her, unless somehow they found the tracker.” He shrugged, “I doubt it as they don’t have anything that can read it, but I’ve got an idea as to where I can get some help to be sure. I just need to get you to a safe spot first. I need you to pack what you need.”

It didn’t take her long to pick up, and David was soon kissing her and Violet a quick goodbye. He had a quick stop to make, and then it was time to get his little girl.

* * *

Readying to Fight

Slipping out from the girls, David quickly jogged around the corner and dropped down into the bunker he had set up as his workshop. There he started strapping on the high-tech armor he had pieced together from the technology of several of the best hard science fiction novels he could lay his hands on. lightweight carbon nanotube skin, layered over a flexible layer that hardens on impact, formed the base. In many ways, it looked more like a cross between a diver’s wet suit and the latex superhero costumes popular in early century cinema. The technology in it was anything but cartoonish. Artificial muscles were built into the suit, though

not the crazy kinds of “super strength” of superhero fame, human bones wouldn’t tolerate that, nor would even the advanced battery cells store sufficient power to power that for long, however there was plenty of extra boost to get him an extra thirty percent kick at critical moments, and a little extra in the stamina department if needed. The special carbon fiber springs built into the boots on the other hand were not the least bit concealable, but in conjunction with the artificial muscles, they could allow for impressive running speeds and jumps that looked like something from moon videos. The addition of gecko skin adhesive pads on the hands, forearms, and knees, along with the spike patches on the heels and toes, allowed for

climbing feats to make your friendly neighborhood wall crawler green with envy. Infra-red and ultraviolet cameras and LED flood lights built in to both the suit and drones controlled by the suit’s onboard computer system, all fed to a heads up display built into the helmet, along with targeting systems, mean that long range or short, amazing shots, are now fairly simple calculations by the computer. With the full environmental controls, including temperature regulation and air filtration, the armor covered most major attack vectors.

David wasn’t foolish enough to believe that it made him indestructible though. For one thing, in any high technology

book, he was at best modestly armored, and for another even in the real world, while incredibly well protected, he stuck out like a sore thumb. There was no way to blend in wearing it, and it wasn’t like any passing police weren’t going to stop and ask him about it. Not that he would be anywhere long, and not have them notified, at least not if he were in public view. If he wasn’t very careful, he knew that all he would end up doing was causing a blood bath, catching up a lot of innocent people in the middle of it, and putting his daughter at more risk.

He picked up the book he had selected for this recruiting job and thumbed through to the page he wanted. He

locked the suit down, made sure he had everything ready, and he put the bookmark on the page and closed the book. Instantly, he was drawn in. When his eyes refocused, it was an awful scene. He hadn’t gotten lucky enough to appear out of sight. No, he was right in the middle of a large outdoor plaza. It was crowded and everyone was pointing at him and gasping. Fortunately, David knew from reading the book, he was far from the craziest thing that they would see today.

He also knew that the public had been the victim of a long and drawn out propaganda campaign to make them hate those who were different. Humanity

had been going through a phase of self-directed evolution, and fearing that they would be ‘left behind’ in the new emergence of the new techno-master race, was only natural considering the stated goals of some of the groups in the groups. However, the levels at which the propagandists had used these fears to seize more power for themselves, was unparalleled in human history. Sticking around to calmly discuss things, wasn’t an option, so David jumped up onto the side of a wall, and using his gecko skin held to it. Then using the targeting computer to calculate the distance between buildings and the optimal path to bounce between them to gain access to the rooftops and travel above the crowd. The augmented reality just displayed the targets in his heads up display, and all

that was left to do, was leapfrog from dot of light, to dot of light, until soon enough he was beyond any hope of being pursued by someone on the ground.

Once he had a moment to breathe and orient himself, he knew that based upon where he placed the bookmark, it shouldn’t be long until the person he wanted to contact was in the area, and in a sticky situation. He sent out the suit’s drones with their mic’s on and the triangulating algorithms ready to get him in range as soon as possible, once the shooting started. He started to get concerned that he might have his own complications first, when the local police helicopter appeared in the area where he

had entered the world, and seemed to be working a search grid. He could only hope that the events in the book, began and led him to the individual he sought before he had to tangle with that chopper, potentially derailing events in the book, and altering his ability to contact the man.

* * *

Time To Go

The police chopper was starting to get close enough that he was debating a preemptive attack. In theory, he could

try to stay hidden, but David didn’t like his odds, thermal cameras, or some other thing was bound to give him away. Just as he was ready to make his move, the gunfire erupted on the street below him. With a wicked grin, he recalled his drones, and set his suit’s descent program with a target in the firefight.

Now comes the hard part, David thought to himself with a foolish grin and began to force himself to go limp and relax. To take his own mind out of the equation, and trust the computer. He jumped off the building, or rather he didn’t. The suit walked him off and he didn’t resist it. Never resist it in this mode. That was the mantra he had to continually remind himself as the

ground hurtled up at him. He wouldn’t fall forever though, soon he found himself in contact with the side of a building and he was sliding down it. He could feel the friction building, making the complete suit warm even as the enviro system made every effort to dissipate the heat. Then he was in the air again, flipping until he struck another surface feet first and bounced from it, across open space into another and then he heard a special alarm that he had created to bring him to full alertness. The drop was over, and he found himself hanging off the side of a building, watching a desperate firefight. One guy was holding out against dozens and things weren’t looking good for him. He wasn’t going without taking most of

them with him, but even as he seemed to be able to see in advance what was getting ready to happen, he could still only dodge one attack at a time. Eventually his number was going to come up, it was just the law of averages.

The young man, now reeking of fear drenched sweat, reached out for that hand the way a drowning man might grasp the point of a sword. Desperation, resignation, and with the full knowledge that nothing in life is free. David could see by the grim look in his eye that he was desperately hoping he could afford whatever price David would want to extract from him for this lifesaving intervention.

David couldn’t help grinning. He knew

the price he intended to extract and that as dangerous as it was, it would be one that the young man would have volunteered for, anyway. Saving him like this, was just to keep his stubborn insistence for loyalty to his other responsibilities. He might still have a minor problem with that after they were done making sure Sophie was safe. With any luck, letting him read the book will solve that issue. He didn’t really want to send him back to get killed.

As soon as he reached out and took his hand, David slid the bookmark into the atlas, and they were standing on a seldom used minimum maintenance road. Just outside of Denver. The young man looked at him in shock, “What? How?”

David shook his head, “What and how, really don’t matter at the moment. I’ve got to save lives. My daughter’s life, and I need your help to do it.”

The young man took a deep breath and looked around, “seems like the least I could do. My name is...”

David cut him off, “I know who you are, but when this is all done, I’ll show you why those names will do you no good in the future. Better off not speaking anything until you know the full story. Still, I understand your trauma on this subject. All will be clear soon. I just need you to tell me if my daughter is being held in the same room I think she is being held in. If so, I can take it from

there. After that, you’re a free man. I won’t kick you out of my service if you wish to stay, but you will be completely free at that point. Think you can let me know who and how many?”

The young man fixed him with a look, his dark eyes trying to see in past the dark screen of the helmet. David knew he was trying to use those formidable psionic powers of his to detect any lie coming from him, but he also knew that while he would know he was holding information back, nothing he had said would be a lie. The young man’s story was very familiar to him, and it had been sad that the author had used his death to galvanize the resistance movement in his

book. Pulling him out like this, would give a noble young man the opportunity to live a full life. Even if not exactly the one he would have wanted, but then again that was true for most people.

The man nodded. “I’ll help you save your daughter. That much I would do no matter what, and I owe you anyway for pulling me out of that trap back there, still not sure how you did that. Afterward though, we need to have a real talk.”

David laughed, “After she’s safe, and it won’t throw you off your game right when I need you sharp. When SHE needs you sharp, I’ll tell you everything you need to know. I promise.”

* * *

Great Escape

The young man nodded at David, “She’s in there, and there are two other captives, as well as six guards, and what seems to be four... maybe scientists, or priests? I can’t really tell. Given their thoughts, they are seeking answers about a collection of items, but the way they are classifying them in their minds, it is almost more like holy relics than machines. None of it really makes any sense.”

David nodded, “It does to me well enough, You stay here, you don’t have any body armor. You’ve done your part. I’ll go in and bust them all out. If you

make your way to the Ihop we passed on the way here, we’ll rondez vous with you there once the dust settles.” He started to reach for some cash from his pack when the young man put a hand up to stop him.

“Actually, I am coming with you.” He tapped the side of his head, “I have an advanced warning system. Think of it as bad guy radar. You just take point, since you’ve got the armor, but I can more or less see around corners.”

“Look kid, I appreciate it, but that is what I have the drones for.” David reassured him, not wanting to risk the boy.

The young man shook his head, “Seriously, done this before, not a problem.”

David didn’t want to argue. He had read some of the raids the young man had lead in the books, so he merely shrugged. “OK, we’re going to try to go at this quiet, at least until quiet doesn’t work anymore. Stick close to me, when time comes to get out, we might do it just like we got you away from your troubles, and you need to be touching me to come along for the ride.”

Disabling the guards at the gate was a lot easier than it should have been, but David wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when Sophie’s life

hung in the balance. The door locks were a harder issue, they weren’t standard key locks they were biometric locks, so it took him a little longer than intended to disassemble the mechanism and wire it to the open position. Then he sent in a drone. It was a man catch entry as he thought. He had the drone use its small laser torch to burn out the security camera, and he turned to the man crouched behind him, “Scan, let me know when they send people to investigate.”

The man gave him a tight grin, “They didn’t see the drone. It seems they only just noticed the camera out. They will be sending two guards to inspect.”

David grinned back, “Two man policy, they don’t trust their own people. In the military, when I worked with the nukes, we had to work in pairs, and that way we could always be in sight of one another. No chance for sabotage. So we take these two out, where ever the other two are, they will be together.”

“Here they come.” David got ready. The door opened, so that the guards could check the entry way. The drone’s laser fired right for their eyes. That momentary distraction was all David needed, he was through the first door, barreling through the guards in the second door way and had plunged a blade through the chest of first one and

then the other before they could recover their wits from the shock of being hit by the laser. David was a little surprised that his new partner did not object to his use of lethal force, what ever he had gleaned from his time in their heads must have been enough to convince him that it was justified. That made David’s heart drop, fear of the treatment Sophie might have already received gripped him, as he stooped long enough to grab an access badge from one of the fallen guards before starting off at a dead run through the corridors.

His situational awareness program showed that his new partner was struggling to keep up the pace as he

headed through the halls. The program used the sound of his footfalls, and an echo location program to graph him on the heads up display. David had color coded him as a “friendly” so that he wouldn’t be accidentally targeted in the fog of war if things got hairy. As much as logic was screaming for him to slow down, and keep them together, the fear for his daughter was driving him on. When the alarm klaxon began to sound and the last door wouldn’t open to his access card, he swore gently under his breath. She and the others were just on the other side of this steel hatch. There was no way to simply break it down though, so he shrugged off his pack, and began to fish inside for the thermite he had brought along for just this purpose. Thermite was a miracle substance, cheap,

easy to produce, and could cut through steel like butter, it just took precious seconds to get set up. Seconds that David didn’t want to spare.

He heard the feet hammering on the tile floor behind him, and the HUD screen on his visor showed it wasn’t the guards, so he called out, “Shield your eyes.” as he had the drone fire the laser into the termite igniting it. The bright white flare essentially blinded the thermal sensors in his suit for several minutes but at least the hinges of the hatch simply melted to slag. Then David gave the hatch a jerk and it clanged to the tile floor. The drones flew into the room, and began to fire at the researchers there who were scrambling to secure their

data. The one who was heading over to the cells in the corner where the prisoners were, David shot outright, his head simply exploded as the large round impacted. The roar of the shot had the others soon cowering. David handed another thermite charge to his partner, “Go open that cage. Get my little girl out of there! Her name is Sophie. Have them help you secure these bastards, and I’ll wait for the remaining two guards.”

David was watching the door waiting for the attempt to retake the lab that they were in, when he heard arguing behind him, he turned, “What is it?”

One of the prisoners, a wild-eyed young man spoke up, “Look man, I appreciate you busting in here like this, but they are going to hit us with overwhelming numbers, and soon. Worse, if that doesn’t work, they will nuke this place to make sure no one else gets it. We can’t be hanging around here. I got my key, and Nissa gots her mirror, we’re outta here. You, if you’re smart, you’ll come with us.” and saying that he walked over to a supply closet, closed the door that had been opened during the clearing sweep, closed it put his key in the door turned the key and opened the door to a city street where it was daylight outside, not dark as it was outside of the facility they were standing in. He looked over his

shoulder, “Last chance man, we’re gone.”

David recovered from his surprise, “Hey where does that door lead?”

The young man just laughed, “Anywhere but here!” and then he and the girl he called Nissa and some people with them just ran through the door closing it behind them.

David looked at Sophie, she was clinging to his partner, who was holding the researchers at gunpoint. David shook his head, “Well, I’ll call that a miss opportunity, but we need to go too.

Come on grab these scumbags, they have a lot to answer for.” As he made sure that everyone was touching, he slid the bookmark in to place, and they were suddenly on the sands, blinking at the bright tropical sunlight.

David pulled his helmet off so Sophie could see his face. The shock overtook her, “Daddy?!?”

She came running to hug him. He enfolded her in his arms, “Yeah baby, it really is me. I’m so sorry, I came as fast as I could.” He looked over her sobbing head to his partner, “I promised you answers. Secure these bastards while I see to her, and then you can have them.

Oh, and I don’t care if you tie them, or just break enough bones that they can’t crawl away. Dealer’s choice.”

* * *

This Is Crazy

Sophie listened to her father’s explanation with an incredulous look. He had always been a little nuts, following conspiracy theories about the Federal Reserve, and Government plots to control the people. Every new program always had a sinister ulterior motive with him, it was one of the reasons they had such a hard time just being in the same room for long. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him, or know that he loved her, but after mom had gotten so sick, and it was just the two of them, she couldn’t deal with his rants anymore. Mom said he wasn’t always like that. That he had always been suspicious, but over time he had just

become convinced that the world was run by corrupt forces that wanted to take us back to the Dark Ages of Kings and Serfs, only this time with the technology to tag us all like farm animals. It had really been too much for her. Worst of all, you couldn’t argue with him about it. He was too smart. He had an answer for everything, and he could show you stuff that he said proved it all, but if it were really like what he said, then it was all over anyway, and why weren’t we all living in cages already? He would say that most people are, they just can’t see the bars any more than fish see the water. How are you supposed to make a rational answer with that, she found herself asking herself over and over growing up? All her teachers, all her

friends, all the experts, everyone was wrong, but dad was right? That just didn’t seem likely.

Now he is telling her about a magical bookmark that sucks them into books. Her kidnappers are some shadowy organization trying to steal it back. John, who is sitting here as real as she is, and who helped rescue her, is supposedly just a character from another book that he magically pulled out of the book? Did he realize how crazy that sounded? Something was going on. Sure, after all, she was in the lab one moment and on this beach another, but that had to be some new technology, right? Dad had to just have found some secret new technology, probably in the same lab

where he stole that high-tech armor he has, and now the company that developed it or the government wants it back. That made more sense, didn’t it? She wondered how she was going to talk him down. She knew her dad, and when he made his mind up about something, you weren’t going to convince him he was wrong, no matter how crazy it was... though this took the cake. He was too smart to trick, and as he proved back at the lab, he was still in good enough shape that they weren’t going to just over power him anytime soon.

She looked to John for help. John had been reading a book that her dad had given him. She frowned when she saw the worried look on his face. “John,

what is it? You don’t believe him do you?” When John didn’t look up, she raised her voice, “John!” With a bit of a start, he pulled his head up from the book, his eyes looked a little wild like he was on the edge of panic. “What is it? You’re scaring me.”

John’s voice croaked a bit as he tried to get control of it, “I... I think he is telling the truth.” John rubbed his eyes, “I know it sounds crazy! I don’t feel made up, I feel real. I have memories, but...” he waved the book at her, “there are things in here, no one could possibly know. I... do I seem real to you?”

David broke in, “Of course you’re real, or as real as it gets now anyway. Once

we take you out of the book and back into the real world, you have all of your history from the book, all of your essential character traits that make you you as you were written, but as far as I can tell, you become a real person. Able to make decisions, choices, mistakes, just like the rest of us.” David threw his hands up in the air, “I didn’t mean to give you an existential crisis here. I just promised you the truth, and I’m doing my best to give it to you. At least as much of it as I have figured out. You helped me save my little girl, I owe you that much. If you read further in there, you’ll read the end your author had destined for you.” David’s voice got quiet. “I didn’t care much for it when I read the book series the first time. Very

heroic,” David shrugged, “Okay, not horribly so, but tragic enough that the rebellion makes you into a martyr and rallies around your death. Uses the outrage it generates to spur them on to victory. So I can’t very well put you back. That is why I said, you can hang out with me, doing what I’m doing, building up a power base so I can protect those I care about against the assholes we fought earlier tonight. Or, if you would rather, I can take you back to the real world and cut you loose to make your own way, to do whatever you want to do. I’ll make no claim on you. This is your second chance at life. No one here is really looking for you, so you can

probably live it out however you want.”

Sophie couldn’t believe that they were taking this seriously, “You can’t really be believing this?”

John shrugged, “I think I do.”

David rolled his eyes, “Damn it Soph, enough! I tolerated your wanting to put your head in the sand about everything else because you were just a kid, and as long as you didn’t call attention to yourself, I figured when things got bad enough, you would find me. Well, things are bad enough now, so once the adults

are done discussing things, I will take you to two or three books of your choice so you can see that it is real with your own eyes. Then it will be time for you to grow up too, and pull your head out of the sand and start viewing the world like an adult.”

Sophie felt like she had been smacked. Her dad had never talked to her like that before! In all of their years of arguing about his views on things, he had never yelled at her like that. What if he did have the proof he claimed? What if he could take her to random books she chose so he couldn’t set them up in advance? What if as crazy as it sounded,

he wasn’t crazy? She just sat there a little dumbfounded. She heard them talking, but she didn’t say anything else. She wasn’t even sulking, not really, she was more in shock. Both at how angry her father had been, and how hurt he must have been to get that angry. Of course, he was crazy, but she never really thought about how much it must have hurt to be treated like he was crazy, and as she well knew, he was way too smart not to notice. If heaven forbid it turned out that he might not be crazy this time...

* * *

Information Overload

Crusoe

“John” closed the book. His head was swimming. David and Sophie, had just gotten back from a visit with Carusoe and Friday, and Sophie was having a real hard time with the little adventure. John didn’t blame her. He was trying to get used to the idea of a new identity and a new life. A “real” life this time, whatever that was supposed to mean. He understood Sophie’s dilemma, but honestly, she had it easy, she didn’t learn that she was just someone’s imagination.

That she was created, lived, loved, suffered, and eventually was killed off, for the entertainment of people she never knew, and then when she did finally become “real”, had to change her name, and none of what she did before mattered, because it was all just a fictional story anyway.

He wanted to curl up in a ball and just lay there. Might have done it too, except he saw in David’s mind how much the story had meant to him as he had read it. It may have been a fiction, but it had meant something to those whose lives it had touched. He knew it wasn’t “real”, but it was something. It was that something that he held on to, to keep him going.

Helping Sophie also helped keep him going. She was having a real problem relating to her father. Not lack of love, but disbelief, warring with guilt over the pain she had caused him, was too much for her, while she was still trying to sort out what all of these recent revelations meant to her world. The more he could focus on being there for her, the less he had to dwell in his own head. Right now, it was way too spooky a place to be wandering.

David called over to them, “It is getting late. I think we should stay here tonight. Question that asshole in the morning, and we can figure out from there what we want to do. I still need to

check Sophie for trackers, and well, if we have to cut one out, she’s had a rough enough day today. Better to do it after a full night’s sleep. John, do you want to come fishing with me, or do you want to stay and gather up firewood and keep an eye on camp?”

John read David’s mind and realized that he didn’t want to leave Sophie alone, but didn’t want to make it obvious. John gave him a knowing grin, “I might get a swim later, but I think some firewood and maybe try to see if I can collect a few coconuts might be a better option, don’t you?”

David nodded, “Well suit yourself. I’d ask Soph to come along, but I’m pretty sure she’s had all the father daughter time she can handle for the moment. A little break will probably do her some good.” With that he turned and headed back to the water and waded in, his electric stun baton in hand.

John couldn’t help but grin, that was one way to go fishing when you were in a hurry. He looked over at Sophie, and held out his hand, “Walk with me?”

She hesitated only a moment, he read her concern at looking too desperate and clinging crumble in the face of the desire for the comfort of reassuring human

touch. Something to be grounding to feel real. The voice in the back of his head of course taunted, ‘If only you were real.’ but he shut it down quickly. She needed him, which meant he didn’t have time for self pity. The voice laughed at him, ‘pretty little crutch isn’t she?’ He squashed it again, and thought as they walked hand in hand down the beach, ‘yeah, she is. So what? A man could do a lot worse."

***

Questioning the researcher in the morning was less messy than David had planned. It seemed a hard night

had softened him up quite a bit, and only moderate pain let John slip right past his mental defenses. John whistled, “Okay, good news and bad. Bad news is, this isn’t the only group that is after these items, but one of several. More bad news, they don’t know a whole lot about them either. The good news is, they know a LOT more than we did before we picked up this guy.”

David grunted and made a go ahead gesture, and even Sophie moved forward interested. John nodded, “Well, it seems that the multiverse theory of existence is correct, or at least partially so. When realities, or maybe

universes, there is some argument over which, though I couldn’t understand the exact difference in definition from his pain addled mind... anyway, when they bump into each other, for lack of a better term, artifacts are sometimes dislodged and left in the other universe. They call these, “Reality Shards”, and it is these reality shards that each have special properties. Some are pretty innocuous, others like the bookmark, key, and mirror, are fairly powerful. We know what the bookmark does. Well the key, lets you open a door, to any other door you know, or know of." David let out a long whistle. John grinned, “Yeah, I know. The mirror might be even more

exciting, any two people looking in the mirror at the same time, can exchange appearances.”

David’s eyes went wide, “Oh, now that could prove handy... or dangerous...”

John nodded, “Yeah, better come up with pass codes quick. Just in case.”

David nodded to the man, “Have you got everything out of him worth getting?” John nodded.

Sophie spoke up, “Daddy, you aren’t going to kill him are you? I mean they kidnapped me, and I hate the bastards, but to kill them in cold blood?”

David grinned, “Oh it isn’t that I wouldn’t, but I think he should make a contribution to research first, don’t you?” They both gave him a wary look, and the man started to blubber and beg. Gathering up their gear, David took each of their hands, and went back to the real world leaving the researcher behind. “There, now we can go back real quick and see if the book reset and we lost him, or if he kept it from resetting. This way we don’t risk losing anyone important.”

“Daddy!” Sophie scolded.

John took her hand, “He’s right. We couldn’t let him go, and there was no

way to jail him. This way, he is at least useful to us.” David raised an eyebrow at the clasped hands.

Reading his mind, John flushed, and stammered as he held the clasped hands up, “Well, shouldn’t we go back to check?”

With a little snort David nodded, “Yeah, that we should.” John could tell that he wasn’t fooling anyone, but then to hell with it, he figured, he had nothing to be ashamed of.

Sure enough, the book had reset and the researcher was no where to be found.

David shrugged, “Ah well, kinda wish I knew where he ended up, but not bad enough to get lost myself to go find him. I think we’ll take you back my place, just as soon as we scan Sophie. You can stay there a couple of days, while I build you a workable ID, and then make your decision as to what you want to do. Sophie, sorry to say kiddo, your stuck back home with dad for the time being. Too dangerous for you to be out wandering on your own just now.”

He figured it was better to tell her that now. Might as well have her mad at him over that, and over any cutting that they would have to do to remove trackers all at the same time....

* * *

Thwarted Plans

Anna didn’t realize how relieved she would be to have him home again. She and Violet had been climbing the walls for two days. Even with he quick message that they had in fact rescued Sophie last night, it still didn’t feel real until she had him home. She was never like this before, she thought to herself. She knew she certainly didn’t want to turn into one of those clingy girlfriends. It really made no sense to her either, after all she had been fine only seeing him a couple of times a week before. Of course

that was before she knew he was walking into a gun fight, and before she knew that they were being hunted again.

Violet seemed just as out of sorts, and maybe that was part of the problem. Living out here with her, maybe they were feeding on each other’s unease. Though if she hadn’t had Violet to talk to about it, she probably would have gone mad.

Meeting Sophie was an experience. She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that his daughter didn’t approve of him having a girlfriend two years younger than she was, much less two of them. While she wasn’t rude to Anna, the

combination of suspicion and disapproval made it difficult to be around her for long. The only thing that they really could “bond” on was their mutual frustration at their interrupted lives. Sophie had just started a new job, and was starting to date a new guy, though Anna could tell that that part wasn’t bothering her too bad. Not the way she kept looking at John like a starving man looked at a steak dinner. Not that she could completely blame her, as the young man was intense, intelligent, and not bad looking. It was just that having a man who could read her every passing thought, nah, that would be a deal breaker. Some women

might like it, for Anna, she just figured it would be a nonstop source of arguments.

Anna knew she was a little shallow, at least on first reaction, and sometimes self centered. She had to work to hold back her first reaction, think about how a situation might affect others, and then open her mouth. To have someone reading her unfiltered thoughts, before she had a chance to think about them and decide if they were really how she wanted to be? That was a recipe for disaster. She had already caught John smirking at some of the caustic replies that she decided to leave unsaid. She

was sure that enough of them aimed at him over the course of a relationship would take their toll. Still he was a good guy to have on your side, and he seemed to be happy being here with them.

She gave up her home to Sophie, and David gave up his to John, as they both moved in with Violet until extra houses could be carved out of the rock cliff face. Anna was fairly certain both of them giving up space wasn’t necessary, as she didn’t see Sophie or John sleeping alone for long, but she didn’t want to be the one to break that news to David. He didn’t seem to be too uptight, but fathers

were different when it came to their little girls. Thinking of her own father, she couldn’t help but miss him. He would have liked David. They wouldn’t have gotten along at all, but he would have respected him.

Her father was odd like that. He didn’t need to be friends with someone to like them. If he could respect what you stood for, and how you stood for it, then he liked YOU. Even if he didn’t want to be around you for long. She never got the hang of it. He said he picked it up working jobs. You could respect a man’s skills, and his code, or how he conducted himself, but not like the

man’s mannerisms or have much in common with him. It was only one of a million contradictions that made up her father. David was like him in some ways, and so completely different in others. She wasn’t sure if it was the similarities that attracted her to him, or the differences. Maybe it was both? Similar enough to feel familiar, yet different enough not to feel like repeating mistakes? She wondered if that is how most women felt about the men in their lives?

Men were such simple creatures, and so damned frustrating at the same time. David didn’t play games, what you see is what you get, well for the most part.

most men, he wants to play tough, but he’s still flesh and bone, and as much as he tries to ignore it, she still sees it when he hits his limits. Though that new body of his has pushed those limits way out there compared to what they were. Yet, even as old and hurt as he had been when they met, he hadn’t hesitated to wade into the fight to save her. She still felt guilty when she thought about how she had treated him afterward. And THAT is why things would never work out with someone like John, she thought. He would know my initial thoughts, and THEN, he would know my guilt after! How could you ever hope to be on an equal footing with a man like that?

She would have to make a trip back to move out of her apartment, and tell school she was dropping out to take care of a mother who had taken ill. Changing up her life all over again. Maybe she could take some online courses? Only question is, under what name? She might have to change that also. Learning that there was more than one group, and more than just the bookmark, well, that meant that this would never be over. Not unless she were willing to leave it all behind. Even if she could completely give it up forever, and she wasn’t sure she could make that decision just yet, she knew David wouldn’t. Would she really be willing to give him up? How crazy had

her life become that a man she hadn’t really thought twice about only a couple of months ago, was now this important to her?

* * *

Catching Up

David and John had gone into a book on a mission that they hadn’t really told the ladies much about. Violet didn’t really think much of it, but both Sophie and Anna seemed to be incensed that the men would have a project that they wouldn’t be informed about. Violet couldn’t really understand what had them all up in arms. So the guys needed some time to handle things, it was probably something in their realm of responsibility. To her way of thinking that was just how things worked. If she and the other women had something that fit in their realm of responsibility, she wouldn’t see any reason to tell the

men about it ahead of time, unless she needed something from them to make it happen. She had tried to explain this to the other ladies, but they had looked at her like she had lost her mind. “Everyone needs to be involved in any decision that is going to affect us all!” they had both insisted. It was like they didn’t trust their men at all.

She could understand if Anna didn’t trust John, after all he had no commitment to her, or responsibility for her wellbeing, but David was there to look out for the family’s best interests. What she couldn’t understand was Sophie. Sure, she and John were a new

couple, but it took a blind woman not to see that they were well on their way to being a couple, and she had her father there as well. He had looked after her, her whole life. The man stormed a highly fortified fortress and spirited her away when she was captured just scant weeks ago, for pity’s sake! Now suddenly she thought he was going to let something bad happen if he could prevent it? What was wrong with these women? What was crazier was that neither man seemed offended by their lack of trust. It was almost as if they were just used to being shown such disrespect. They just brushed it off, and went about what they were planning.

Violet made sure to give David a little extra TLC before he went. She couldn’t make up for the treatment his daughter or Anna gave him, but she could make sure he knew that he was appreciated.

Left to their own devices for what they were told to expect would be nearly a week, Violet finally caught the other two one night and admitted part of her frustration with the modern world. When asked what she meant, she started by explaining that she couldn’t really use a computer, or a cell phone, or drive a car. Microwaves were very cool, but she was only really just getting the hang of doing more than heating up leftovers

in them. The women sat in stunned amazement as they listened to all of the things that they took for granted, that they were only now realizing that their intelligent, sophisticated, well mannered, and well spoken friend just found baffling. She had been so good at smoothly working around what for most people would be crippling handicaps, that they had never stopped to notice she had them. They were still stunned as she concluded, “... and I just feel like I am so out of place most of the time. People talk about things and I nod and I smile, but I usually don’t figure out what they really mean until much later when I actually see what they are doing. The

first time someone told me to ‘google it’, I thought they were being obscene.” she blushed.

Anna shook her head, “You cope so well, I never even realized. I should have, but..”

Sophie huffed, “Yeah, no kidding! Well, enough of that! Tonight is movie night, and Violet is the one working all the gadgets. Don’t look at me like that girl! Ya gotta learn sometime, and better while it is just us... besides, we’ll be here to help you through it. Tomorrow you learn to drive. Be grateful, I had to learn with dad!” She made her eyes widen in mock

terror, bringing a giggle from the other two. She shook her head in dismay, “Teaching my step mother how to drive. Top of my list of things I never thought I would do.” She said it with a smile, but it kinda fell flat. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. Dad seems happy with you two, and if you got daddy issues I suppose I can share.” she winked at them. “Seriously, lighten up. I’m trying to say I’m glad it is working out for y’all. Don’t understand it, but I don’t gotta, to be happy for you.”

Violet was the first one to nod, “Thank you. I’m glad we can get along too. As to not understanding it, you can’t see what an amazing man your father is?”

“Well yeah, I mean he’s great an’ all but he’s dad. Kooky crazy dad. I love him to death, but I couldn’t imagine sleeping with him.” she giggled.

Anna’s face didn’t smile, and she looked like she was only one step from crying. “I understand. When I first met him, he was feeling his years, and I too didn’t see the man for all of the physical defects.” Her voice was silent at that last part. “To my shame, it wasn’t until he was restored to physical health and vitality did I start to see past that to all of the amazing qualities that had been on display all along, I was just too closed off to them to be able to see it.”

She shrugged. “Maybe it was a flaw in me, or maybe that is just how biology works. We are wired like that and I couldn’t help it. I do know this, even after he saved my life, I wasn’t looking at him like anything more than a brave but foolish old man. When he got his health back, and I got a look back at what he must have been like when your mother met him,” she smiled, “I couldn’t help but fall for him. All the things that made him a sweet but crazy old man, make him daring and dangerous and honorable man now... I don’t know how to explain it better, mostly because I don’t understand it myself, but I guess what I am trying to get at, is you’re seeing your dad the old

man, think back to the father of when you were a little girl. He is much more that man now, only with more experience, okay, and more gray hair, but I’ve found I don’t mind that too much. Not when you compare it against all the other options out there.”

Violet just smiled at them both, “It wasn’t too uncommon for a woman in my time to marry a man up to twice her own age. To me, David is like some High Lord, stepped fresh from the pages of a storybook or a fairytale.”

Anna laughed, “Careful with descriptions like that, some of those of

fairy stories didn’t end so well in their original versions.”

Violet just shrugged, “You said I was picking the movie. How about we pick one with a happy ending?”

* * *

Mission

David calling him out on this mission, just the two of them, to gather resources and get him some equipment, sounded good out loud, but John wasn’t fooled

. More importantly, David should have known that John wouldn’t be fooled by it either. John’s ability to read David’s mind went beyond just the surface thoughts. Sure, David could block him for a time, but that took concentration, and no one could maintain that for extended periods of time. David wanted to have the father/new boyfriend chat with him. John found it amusing.

It wasn’t funny because he doubted David’s sincerity. To the contrary, he could see it sitting right there, right beside his relief that she would have someone competent looking after her.

He knew that David had only one other fictional character that he would have wanted to pull out for going after his daughter, only one that he would have respected more, but he had chosen John because that character had emotional ties to another character in his book world that would have distracted him from his goal, and he also had physical limitations that would have made the physical assault problematic. Not that the character couldn’t have handled it, but that guy was a planner, and a schemer. In a physical fight, he would have been at a disadvantage that wouldn’t have been fair to anyone. John was the perfect balance, and he had supernatural skills to draw on that David was fairly certain

he would keep. Though he certainly hadn’t foreseen Sophie forming an attachment to him. He could tell that David did not see it as a negative.

John played along with the ruse as they left on the mission, yet as they were approaching the outskirts of the city under siege, and he could tell David was about to launch into his speech, John interrupted him. “I know. I agree., and I’ll take good care of her. You know it too, so why go through this, just because as a father you feel you should? Unlike nearly all fathers throughout history, you have the unique advantage of knowing my history, and my character, and unlike nearly all prospective son in laws, I have

the distinct advantage of knowing exactly where I stand with you. Anything else,” he shrugged, “WE don’t need it.”

David laughed and felt the relief wash over him. “It feels wrong not to give fair warning, but you’re right. You of all people already have it, and I of all people know that she is as safe with you as she can be.” He sighed and shook his head, “I KNOW about your ability, but I don’t know if I will ever get used to your ability.”

It was John’s turn to laugh, “I’ve had it all my life, and sometimes it still throws me a curve. Speaking of, there are sentries up ahead. They are unaware of us as of yet, but...” he shrugged.

David nodded and dropped his voice, “We...”

John held up his hand to cut his words off, then grinned. He just picked the thoughts out of David’s mind and held up two fingers for the second option. David broke out in a feral grin as he realized an unexpected benefit to this arrangement, and silently they each cut off to a different side of the road they had been traveling down.

Slipping into the besieged city was a lot less of a problem than either of them had thought it would be. Barbarian besiegers, or Roman guardsmen with

torches, were no match for John’s psionics or David’s drones and night vision equipment. Quietly eliminating the Senator’s private guardsmen wasn’t a challenge either, the problem arose when they offed the Senator in his bedchamber. The new little slave girl who had been sent up for him that night saw them as her ticket out, and she looked so pitiful David felt his heart break. John looked over at him, “I can see her mind. Her fear of what is coming for her is real. Part of me knows that when we leave the book, it resets and destiny takes back over, but another part knows that just like for me, we can save HER, the her that is in front of us right now.”

David snorted, “You know you don’t have to convince me to do it, you know I was sort of hoping you would be the practical one and convince me not to.”

John smiled sadly, “I know, but how can I of all people do that?”

David shook his head, “Oh, you know we’re going to so end up regretting this in the long run.” He grinned. “I can hear Anna and Sophie now. Fine, I’ll take the blame, but load her down with every trinket she can carry and wrap her ass in every shred of those silken bed sheets. If she’s coming, we might as well have her pay her own way as much as we can, right?”

John laughed, “Yeah, the girls will believe we needed help to carry stuff, and that is why we came home with a half naked slave girl.”

“Don’t remind me, and she won’t be half naked by the time we make it back to them. I’ll not be dealing with THAT at least.” David grumbled as John just chuckled and began to ransack the Roman Senator’s home for his prize possessions. Loading up himself and the girl with tapestries and artwork, while David busied himself prying apart large stone sections of the wall looking for the hidden vault that the book had mentioned, but been vague on exactly

where in the room it was, or how exactly it was opened.

By the time John and the girl were both so loaded that they were having difficulty walking, much less escaping the city, he finally found what he had been looking for. John could tell the exact moment he found it. He could sense David’s will power clamping down to prevent himself from screaming his victory at the top of his lungs. There before them was a tangled gold chain inlaid with multiple large gems. In and around the altar, where what turned out to be a gold and gem encrusted chain mesh portable

‘summoning circle’ was found, were dozens of small carved glass boxes. David collected up each of these.

John cast him an odd look. David was blocking his thoughts at the moment, and he wasn’t sure why. When he shot David a questioning look, David just shook his head, “Experiment. Don’t want to taint the results. Let’s get out of here.”

So quickly they all joined hands, and David took them back to the real world. Not back to their family though. For what he had planned, he thought it best if there was some distance involved.

* * *

Equipment

David grinned at John, and the new girl as they all shivered. Going in a flash from the warmth of a Roman summer evening to a brisk mountain morning by one of his cashes up in the Rockies just outside of Denver was a shock to anyone’s system. Even though his armor had the ability to be completely sealed and temperature controlled, that had a power consumption price associated with it, so he hadn’t had it functioning for the nighttime raid, the change of hitting the mountain air was a real shock. Seeing the poor girl wrapped only as she was in bedding and even that made only for warm climate he pointed

to a place for her to put down her bundles, and started looking around for some dead fall for firewood. “We won’t be here long I don’t think, but she’s going to need to stay warm. Let’s get a small fire going. I just need some firewood.”

John didn’t say much, but David could tell that he wasn’t happy that David was suddenly shielding his thoughts from him. It was necessary. So much of this might depend on what he believed was possible or not, and if David prejudiced him with his own thoughts on the matter, well it could be the difference between pretty baubles that would earn them cash, or a tool that would boost John’s mind psionic abilities.

With the fire started and camp mostly set up, David handed the gold mesh to John. “What can you tell me about this?”

John looked it over casually, “Pretty. Should be worth a bit of coin. Not sure how historically accurate it is.”

David nodded, “Can you get a reading off of it?”

John smiled, “David, psychometry isn’t one of my gifts, that isn’t how it works.”

David nodded again, “Humor me?”

John looked at him intently for a moment, then shrugged and his face took on a look of concentration, then surprise, then more concentration, then despite his shielding David ‘heard’ John’s voice in his head, “Can you hear me?”

David laughed, “So there is power in it for you? I had hoped so, but no way to know until you started to work with it.”

John spoke aloud now, “It seems so, though exactly what or what the limits are I cannot be certain...”

David nodded. “Nor am I. The book was always a bit vague, it is why I didn’t want

my thoughts to somehow limit it’s potential. Even now I hesitate to say too much but I think it is an antenna of sorts for minds like yours. The reason you will find you are able to do things you couldn’t before, is you always had the ability, it was just too weak to manifest as a usable talent without a booster, well now you have a booster, and your previous talents, they’ve got a serious boost now too.”

“Huh!” He turned the chain over in his hands, “I have to admit, I am looking forward to learning how to use it properly. What’s with the little glass boxes then?”

David made a face, “That I still don’t know how useful they will be. Those are

the ‘soul of the ancients’. Basically stored personalities from a long dead civilization. It was always let cryptic in the book series. They could be a big boost, or they could know a ton of trivia about a fictional universe that only matters if you geek out over that universe.” David shrugged and then sighed, “Either way, we’ll have plenty of

time for checking that all out in time. I figure we crash here tonight, even if it does mean sleeping rough. Tomorrow, we go to the book where I got most of the stuff for my armor. We sell off most of this junk, resupply with the best hardware we can lay our hands on, and we go back home to get you kitted out.”

“David, I’ve been thinking. You know that Sophie loves you, don’t you?” John asked.

David chuckled, “You can read my mind John, so you know I do.”

John grunted,“I can read your thoughts, sometimes deeper things come out, sometimes not. The deepest things, I would have to dig around for, and I wouldn’t do that to you. My point is, she does you know. She has let me in pretty deep, and I’ve seen it. So when I say that she doesn’t want to live there full time with you, know that it isn’t that she doesn’t love you. Stop! I can hear your objections already.” He

started to laugh, “Damn it David, just put everything in neutral for a moment and listen. I’ll go with her obviously, so she’ll have protection. I’ll insist on a safe option. I’m thinking a life at sea, sailing full time. It would mean that you couldn’t just pop in unexpected at any time, but neither could trouble. If it

did, well, that’s what we’re picking up the tools to handle, now isn’t it. We’ll also pick up radios that they can’t break the encryption on, or maybe I can learn to use this,” he held up and rattled the mesh in his hand," to call out long distance, and we can arrange a pickup, or you to come for a visit, bring the family She’s terrified of it, but also looking forward to a new brother or

sister." John chuckled at the flash of panic that went through David’s mind.

“My point is, we’re leaving the place and being underfoot all the time, but we’re not running off on you. Call, I’ll come running. To help, or just for a visit. If your daughter needs you, I promise I

will call.” He smirked and nodded across the fire at the young woman who just stared at them with wide eyes. “Besides, I think you’ll need that extra house we carved out.”

David sighed, “I don’t know what I am going to do with her. Think she could survive if I just took her to modern Italy and handed her a huge wad of cash?”

John snorted, “Not bloody likely. The ‘Italian’ she speaks would be barely recognizable by a modern Italian, and she only speaks it in a broken fashion. Her native language is Old Norse. She was sold off after her family lost a recent scuffle for power. Bloody princess

you’ve got there or she was before they collared and branded her. She was on her way to be deflowered when we showed up and gave him the new asshole in the middle of his forehead.” John chuckled. “You made quite the impression with that, by the way. Between that and your ‘ravens’ as she thinks of your drones, she has you more or less pegged for Odin himself, and no I

don’t think anything I say would dissuade her, even if I did speak directly into her mind, assuming she could understand me. So no, unless you drive that one off at gunpoint... I think you’re likely stuck with her. Take her home, give her to Violet as a ladies’ maid, and wait for sparks to fly.” he chuckled.

David snorted, “Glad you find this amusing. Just wait, I know my Sophie well, I’ll be sure to send you a gift that is sure to land you in the dog house. I guess boats don’t have dog houses, maybe she’ll make you sleep out in the dinghy.” He grinned at his friend.

They finally turned in for the evening. The following few day were a lot easier. Living in hotels, selling art and antiques, and buying tech toys, wasn’t exactly a bad time. Teaching a mildly feral teenager how to use modern plumbing though, well that was a bit of an adventure, especially trying to get her showered, without his body betraying an interest he shouldn’t be showing in her for at least two or three more years. Damn Romans.

* * *

An Impossible New Life

Var had been many things in her brief life. Princess, war captive, cargo shipped like livestock in the belly of a slaver’s ship, and eventually a rich man’s pleasure slave, or at least that was what her destiny had seemed to be. Until on the night when he had decided to claim her as his own, the All Father himself

had come and struck him dead. Var had thought it a great monster at first, perhaps a powerful demon, until he had removed his helm and showed himself

not to be a demon at all. The flowing mane of white hair and beard as white as the winter snows, and the mixture of a father’s wrath, and tenderness when she had clung to him in her fear and gratitude. It HAD to be the All Father, even though he had both of his eyes, still it had to be him. He even had ravens who did his bidding. She saw him command them.

The one who was with him lacked the armor he wore, but he too was quick and

clever. He had both his hands, so not Tyr, nor was his hair red, so not likely Thor, but certainly he was one of the Aesir. It was like he could read her thoughts. He was quick to smile and kind, perhaps he was Baldur or maybe

Forseti? He lacked the stern edge to him of the All Father, and it was that edge that both terrified and drew her. She couldn’t put it in to words, but something deep inside responded to it in a way that the softer, gentler, younger god couldn’t invoke. It was easier to get her orders from him though. Even when she couldn’t quite understand what he wanted her to do, he seemed to know what part was confusing her. The All Father just seemed to be busy with other things.

It wasn’t that he ignored her. On the contrary, he checked on her many times. Saw to her needs personally on more than one occasion. She often felt uncomfortable that he would bring her

food instead of her doing the fetching and carrying. When he hand fed her from his own food that was different. After all men enjoyed that kind of thing, they even did it with their animals. However, to bring her a plate of food like a servant would! Even if it were only the three of them there, it was not to be done! He didn’t seem to care, though. Maybe that was the privilege of being the All Father, you didn’t need to care what anyone thought?

She remembered him teaching her how to use the waterfall that came out of the wall. When he had undressed her, she thought he was going to claim his prize.

She was scared sure, but excited too. She had been a little disappointed that he had not that first night. He was, after all, so much better a choice than the old senator. Yet even though he had joined her in the water, he had not completely undressed. He had been firm, yet gentle when he washed her hair. She had thought that perhaps he was not claiming the prize for himself because he was going to sell her again. She had fought the tears for as long as she could, and when she couldn’t any longer, he had held her and comforted her. She could feel that he was attracted to her,

yet still he did not take her, even when she offered herself to him. Even now, she isn’t really sure what his plans are.

She had offered herself to him after that, and still he refused her. He would come and hold her in the night if she woke from a nightmare, or if he heard her weeping, but always he would be dressed. His caresses were not completely fatherly, not by a long stretch, but nor were they really those of a passionate lover either. Safe, protected, and even desired, all of these things she felt in his arms, yet still he would not claim her. Nor did the lesser god make an attempt to claim her in his absence.

They cut away the collar. They bought her wonderful new clothes, and even jewels. Magic talking boxes with moving paintings, and perfumes, and lotions,

and other gifts beyond price, they just gave to her. The richest foods, of the most exotic flavors, and all she wanted of them were hers upon simply making a request. She hadn’t been treated this well when her father was Jarl of the combined tribes. Yet, she still had no idea even what his name was, where they were, or what was expected of her.

The weather was very hot. After even a very short walk she was wishing she had one of those water falls that one could call forth from the wall again.

Before long, though, she heard a woman’s cry, and then it was answered by two more. The men with her waved,

and soon the three women were hugging the men and laughing excitedly, though they were eyeing her warily. After a short time, she came to realize that these were women who belonged to the two who rescued her. The oldest of the three belonged to the younger god, but she wasn’t certain might be a daughter or niece of the All Father, and the younger two were obviously his women. Two of them seemed the most upset with him about her being here. To her surprise, it wasn’t both of his women. One was the relative, and the other was one of his women, but the other woman seemed to soften at something he said and her attitude toward Var changed.

The nicer one of the three, the All Father called her Violet, was more or less put in charge of her. Var had seen the routine enough to understand what had happened. She was glad it wasn’t one of the other two. They didn’t seem mad at her, but they were pissy about something and she didn’t need any trouble. Her life was finally going good, she didn’t want to do anything but make the All Father happy, however he wanted and keep this going for as long as fate would let it go. Violet seemed to understand. She showed her to a little hut carved back in the cliff face and made it clear that it was

hers. Then she left Var to settle in. Var spent some time looking around at

things, but realized that it was things that belonged to someone else. Someone who was giving up their place for her to stay in. That made her nervous that she might not be staying long. She really needed to get the All Father to like her and want to keep her. She just wasn’t sure how to get his attention. She had already tried every trick she knew.

* * *

You Take Her Back Then

David was helping John put together his armor, but it wasn’t the quiet tinkering affair the men had hoped for. The ladies had decided it was as good a time as any to invade the workshop and brow beat their captive audience. Well, to be more accurate, Anna and Sophie had decided. Violet was mostly just observing the scene after having settled Var down in front of the computer with a children’s language learning game. John had assured him that while Var was as frustrated with it as any adult would be in the situation, she was bright enough to realize the purpose and had dutifully set herself to the task. He had been

focusing on wiring up the heads up display into the power relays and trying to tune Sophie out, but as he finished up, he caught the last half of her rant, “...you already had two women, both younger than your daughter, and now you bring in a third who is an actual child? What are you thinking? I mean, if anyone calls the police...”

He cut her off, “Sophie, stop! First, my sex life is not your concern. Second, I am not sleeping with the girl, nor is that my intention. I shot the last bastard who tried it myself. Put a bullet right in his forehead.” He spoke the words bluntly and without any euphemism, and made eye contact, taking a bit of smug

satisfaction in her cringing at her coming to terms with her father’s politically incorrect way of dealing with problems. It irritated him that she would sit there and get all judgmental about him letting the girl stay with him because it was somehow ‘improper’ but got all squeamish because he shot the bastard who was planning to use her for a fuck toy. Not that David didn’t find himself tempted to do the same, but temptation was no excuse to abuse a defenseless girl. “Of course, if someone calls the cops, and they come all the way out here to try to cause me a problem, we’ll step into a book and they’ll find empty buildings. Finally, I am in a position where I don’t have to beg everyone’s permission to live my life

how I choose to live it, so I am not going to. Not them, and sure as hell not you, and I am not going to apologize for that.”

Sophie looked a bit taken aback. She wasn’t used to anyone calling her out on her bullshit. Most men she knew would agree with her because they wanted her to like them, or even if they didn’t care what she thought, they didn’t want the social condemnation of other people thinking that they held what had become socially unacceptable beliefs. David was glad to see her finally being put in a position where she would have to learn to deal with the push back. Especially since John would only shrug and say, “I’m with your father on this

one. You are being unreasonable.” David even caught a slight flicker of amusement on John’s face after he said it, so he knew whatever had just passed through Sophie’s mind must have been a doozy.

Anna picked up the campaign next, “She may not be able to say anything, but what about me? Don’t you think I should have a say in all of this?” she asked in an almost shrill voice.

David nodded, “Okay, you get your say. YOU get to be the one to let her know you are returning her to a life of slavery, torture, rape, and likely eventual murder, but you need to wait until she

has enough of the language so she can understand you as you look her in the eye when you tell her this. Oh, and YOU will be the one to take her back, and then you’ll explain to me how that benefits your great ‘feminist’ principles. Until then, I need my concentration for this next part, or John could have a malfunction when his life depends on it, and that I think is a bit more important than your petty jealousies and wounded pride.” He went back to work on the armor. He was furious inside, yet he had not raised his voice in the slightest. He had made the entire statement as if he were discussing tomorrow’s weather.

Anna and Sophie were speechless, but he could see that they were just shy of spluttering in outrage. From the corner of his eye, he saw Violet rest her head in her palm in such a way so as to hide a smile. When she had collected herself enough to trust that she could speak without appearing to be too happy about the turn of events, Violet spoke up, “I think things will work out just fine as they are. There is no need to send anyone back to that fate. She isn’t really a problem. We have plenty of room. We can always build on more space, and it isn’t like we have neighbors, at least not for miles in any direction.”

David saw the two women bite back a

scathing reply. In the end, they settled in the sullen acceptance. He saw the opportunity to change the subject. “John, I’m assuming that you’ve talked to Sophie about the kind of boat you want, when you want to start… well, to at least begin searching for one?”

John catching the intent, jumped on the opportunity. They spent the rest of the day discussing the pros and cons of various boat options and the merits of buying and modifying a ship versus building one up from scratch. In the end it all didn’t matter, the decision was ultimately made for them when word came of the latest hysteria from government regulators and the new restrictions due to viral outbreak.

* * *

Just Use A History Book

The new draconian lockdown restrictions has John frustrated. They were all sitting around a small campfire in front of the houses, discussing next steps. John waved his arms in the air frustratedly, “So we put the bookmark in a magazine article about an event, say, a week before everything happened and we just get a boat ready and stash it somewhere then jump to in the now!”

David snorted, “Ah just use a history book and change history, now why didn’t I think of that!”

John didn’t need to be a mind reader to hear the sarcasm dripping off of his words, though he was a bit taken aback by the depth of the pain. Sophie hissed, “Daddy! Enough!” Then more soothingly as she took his arm, “No need to take it out on John, he didn’t realize. John, baby, we’re Jewish. You don’t think that in all of our thirty-five hundred years of recorded history we had a few things that we would have liked to go back and, if not change, at least help bring forward those who were suffering to save them? It just works a lot like the Atlas, you end up in the location of the events, in the current time. You will have to forgive Daddy, he doesn’t take no for an answer very well, even when G-d Himself is telling it to him. Once

something happens in the real world, the bookmark can’t help us anymore. Maybe one of the other artifacts allows time travel, but if so, we don’t know about it.”

Now that the topic had churned all of the emotions to the surface, John could read the memories of the attempts and the failures in David’s mind, along with the rising frustration each time he ended up in modern Germany, or Italy, or Israel, or Iraq, or Syria, or Russia... John sighed, a long history and many tries indeed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know, and didn’t mean to open old wounds.”

David let out a low growl, “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. How could you know, it isn’t like I go around with my failures in the top of my thoughts for you to pluck them out. More importantly, they are my failures and I don’t need to take them out on those around me. It was just that the first time I ended up outside of the Anne Frank house and realized it was now not then...”

John’s voice cracked with emotion, “You don’t have to say it man. Remember, I know. Once you thought of it again, now, I know.” The two men sat in silence for along moment. The ladies just curled up close to them willing comfort into them but John could feel from David

that this was a wound that wasn’t going to just heal. He hadn’t tried just once. Or just in Germany. The man had tried over and over. Different books, and different translations. Sought out first editions, and even in the case of one of his failed trips that landed him in Syria, had broken in to the British Museum’s Archives to access the cuneiform tablets to try to get back to the right era. All to no avail. Sitting there at the core of it all, John could see David’s dream of being a modern day Moses leading survivors across time to the present promised land. It was a dream he had not given up easily, or without a fight.

David looked up and met his eye and John saw the thought forming in his mind and he let out a low laugh. “Yes David. When the time comes, I will go through the conversion. The Jewish understanding of the divine makes more sense to me than any other that has been presented, and I’ll give lip service to whatever the old fools demand for the conversion classes so our children will have no problems, but don’t expect me to actually buy in to everything that the rabbis say. I can read their minds. Most of them know that a lot of what they claim to be so sure of is pure bull shit made up by another rabbi.”

David barked a laugh, “I couldn’t have

said it better myself. Don’t get HaShem confused with those who profess to speak for Him. Play the political game when you must. It isn’t right, but like most things in life, it is what it is, and reserve for HaShem those things that belong to Him, and give to the Rabbinate those trivial trappings which they so crave. In the end, the latter are meaningless vanities, anyway.”

Reading surprise from Sophie, John smiled and squeezed her tight, “Don’t be so surprised m’love. All religions have a segment of men who seek to appropriate the faith and devotion of good men for their own aggrandizement. That your father recognizes this, just means that he

isn’t a fool. It would be the rare idiot indeed to ever mistake him for one.” He hid his smile as he saw her face flush, and read in her mind her guilt as his words hit home. He thought quietly, ‘Don’t feel bad sweetheart, at your age we all think our parents idiots. You’ll be figuring out just how wrong you are over the next few years, and then things between you and your father will likely be much better. Until then, maybe I can keep you from saying and doing too many things you’ll feel guilty about later.’

Three-Hour Tour

She couldn’t believe that she let the guys talk her in to this! Anna was just finally getting over the seasickness that had plagued her for three days, all so the guys could play pirate. She wasn’t really angry with them, it was better to hang out here than back in a world gone crazy with lock downs and people hunting them for the bookmark.

When they had first suggested it, she had wrinkled her nose at the idea. Even before she realized that sea sickness would be involved, the idea of no indoor plumbing and a rickety old wooden pirate ship filled with smelly old sailors

didn’t really appeal to her in the least, to say nothing of the thought of fighting off boarding parties or cannon balls flying at them. David had only laughed at her though. It was John who put her mind at ease. “Do you really think that David of all people plans to fight fair?” he had teased her. “We’ll make a quick trip to pick up supplies first, and once we take over a ship, we’ll get it all rigged up for you. By the time you get there, it may not be a modern luxury yacht, but it will be comfortable enough. We’ll be in no real danger from anything but bad luck, and if we need to, we can always pop back to the real world, or another book at need. David and I had a couple of

good ol’ standbys specially printed up out of plastic so that they were waterproof. Do you really think he is going to put any of you in any danger?”

David shook his head with a smile, “Just a three-hour tour...” he sang. When they all looked at him with blank looks except John who lifted the meaning directly from his mind, David shook his head in dismay. “That’s the problem with being an old fart, all of your cultural references go right over everyone’s head.” Anna just smiled at him. He always made such a big deal about the age difference. Like that mattered? She wondered why it seemed so big in his mind? Was he missing someone his own age who could

get his jokes? It seemed like a small thing to be hung up on. Most guys would be grateful to be dating a woman younger and more attractive. Of course, David wasn’t most guys, which she supposed was why she was with him in the first place. He really was like no one she had ever met before, and she didn’t think it was just because he was older. Maybe it was the combination of being older, but still being in the young man’s body? Because even if he kept the gray hair, and the weathered lines on his face, and his scars, he was in better shape after time on the slab that most guys half his age. When she had watched him do the training, even back when his body was still all worn out, he had years of skill, and she could see it in action, even

from that first meeting when he took out two men in their prime. He had taken them by surprise of course, but he had been able to do that. Now that he was back in prime shape, his confidence was back too. All except this lingering thing he still seemed to have about his age.

She decided to go looking for Violet. The boat was empty of crew. David and John, had rigged up electric motors and winches and actuators to all of the usual control surfaces. The same on board computers in their suits that controlled their drones sailed the boat. She didn’t understand exactly how it worked, but David said something about a learning algorithms, and that it had taught itself

to sail in just forty-three hours. She had been below decks, sick during that time, so it was all the last thing on her mind. Still, seeing the set up now, it was quite impressive. It was another area where her David was full of surprises.

While she wouldn’t call the decor to be professional, it was far better than when they had first arrived. She figured most of that was Violet’s doing. When she found Violet, the woman was directing Var as the two of them were busily trying to convert as much of the old crew area into reasonable living spaces for modern people. Anna caught Violet’s attention as soon as she walked in. Violet grinned

sympathetically at her and motioned to Var to put down the other end of the curtain they were hanging to try to make another semi-private pace in the big open area. “Feeling better I take it?”

Anna raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes , “Anything was an improvement.” she joked. “Yeah, I think I’ve finally adjusted. As long as we don’t hit any big storms, I think I’ll be ok. Hey, while everyone else is topside, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Violet nodded over to a bench bolted to the floor so it wouldn’t go flying in rough seas, “Sure, what’s up?” she asked her voice lowering to match Anna’s tone.

“It’s about David. I’ve become a bit worried about him. He, well, he has made a lot of comments lately about his age, and about our age difference. I think it bothers him more than he is letting on. I don’t know why he would feel bad, and I don’t want him to think we would ever think less of him because he isn’t our age.” Both women’s heads spun as they heard an incredulous snort from near by.

Var stood there with a disgusted look on her face. She shook her head, “No revere Aesir! Aesir love you. Give you...”she looked around and not having the words gestured to all that they could see, then she pointed at Anna and with a venom in her words pointed her finger directly

at Anna, “You no revere All Father!” and in frustration at not being able to express herself better she stormed off, fighting back tears of rage and frustration.

Anna was in shock and confusion. When she turned to Violet to see if the other woman was as shocked as she, she noticed Violet wouldn’t meet her eye, and didn’t seem surprised. “You knew she felt like this? What, what was this all about?” When Violet neither answered nor looked at her, Anna felt a little panic rising, “Violet look at me!” she pleaded. “What is she talking about? Why aren’t you saying anything? Is it because you think I’ve done something wrong too?”

Violet let out a long sigh. “The Aesir are the Viking gods. I think that is who she thinks David is, but we haven’t been able to communicate well enough yet to talk about it in detail. More to the point, she doesn’t think you and I show him enough respect, but especially you, and Sophie. She has sort of figured out that Sophie is related, maybe a daughter, so she cuts her some slack for that, but not much.” Violet shrugged, “As to why he thinks his age is a problem, you’ve thrown it in his face every time you fight. When he took me as a lover, he was old enough to be my father. A point you and his daughter both made to him, rather explicitly. And then again when he brought Var home, even though he had done nothing but rescue the girl from a cruel fate. You accused him both

of being old, and of taking advantage of the girl. You did so publicly, teamed up with Sophie. I’m not innocent in this, I saw Var, and I too felt jealousy. I’m not going to say that I am completely over it. I just figured out that it WILL screw up the good thing I have going here if I let it, so I won’t. I’m not you though. You came from the ‘real world’, you have all sorts of big ideas that I don’t understand about how you think things are supposed to work. Who am I to tell you what to do? Var is young, and is trying desperately to find a way to repay what was done for her. She can’t.” Violet smiled wistful and sad, “I understand where she is coming from. I just have the advantage of age and

common language, that she doesn’t have, to help me cope. She is just focusing it all on lashing out in misplaced protectiveness, at you, because she fears to do so at Sophie.”

Anna felt like someone had punched her. They all thought she was a selfish bitch. The worst part was that she could be. She wondered if David saw her that way? Did he resent her too? Was he only with her because the bookmark was hers? She needed to talk to him.

* * *

Perspective

David saw Var hurrying out from below decks, and she was obviously upset. Before he even said anything John’s voice crackled over the radio, “I don’t know that you can do anything, but if you want to check on her, I’ve got a handle on things . Soph and I will call out if we spot a sail.”

David didn’t reply aloud, he knew John would read the humor in his mental thanks. It was odd having someone who anticipated what you wanted done and was already working on it. If there were a way he could do it to, they would be unstoppable in combat. It would be a

level of integration that was unthinkable for any other force. He pushed the notion out of his mind. He knew that there were sci-fi books where it was possible electronically, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to pay the downside price of making a doorway into his mind to anyone with a sophisticated enough computer.

When he found Var looking over the rail of the ship, she looked flustered and wiped away her tears and tried to smile for him. David looked at her concerned. He took her face in both of his hands and tilted it up to look at him, “I don’t know how much you can understand. Are you ok?”

She forced a big smile, “Ok. Silly. Fine. No worry.”

David sighed, “The girls weren’t mean to you?”

She shook her head, “No, Var silly. Stupid cry. Very OK.”

David frowned, he knew that there was more to the story, but he knew until she learned more of the language, he had no hope of getting to it. John could probably tell him more, but he hated to have him dig around too much in what should be private. He sighed and kissed her

forehead. “I’m happy you are here, and I want you to be happy too. I know it is hard to talk at the moment, but try to tell me if there is anything wrong.”

Var just smiled that fake smile, “No wrong. Much ok. Happy at Aesir.” David just nodded and left her there to work through whatever she was going through.

As he was coming back toward the bow of the ship, he saw Anna coming toward him, and she too looked upset. ‘Oh great,’ he thought to himself, ‘guess I’ll at least get to hear one side of the story. At least I’ll have some idea of what is going

on this way.’ He steeled himself for whatever was about to come.

Anna was at least not instantly accusatory this time, which was an improvement. She seemed legitimately concerned. “You know that girl thinks you are a god?”

David felt his eyes roll involuntarily, he sighed deeply, “Yeah. So she told you that, eh? I suppose I should be glad her language skills are improving.”

“Wait? You knew?” Now she looked incredulous. “You’re letting her believe you’re a god?”

“Oh come off it! Of course not. I’m not ‘letting’ her do anything. I tried to explain that I’m not one of the Aesir, but she just took it to mean that I didn’t want her spreading the word around.” he shook his head in frustration. “You might have noticed that there is a little language barrier?”

“Oh, I suppose.” she sounded a bit mollified. Then she countered, “Couldn’t you, like have pricked your finger or something and showed her that you could bleed, or something to prove you aren’t a god? It would have to be better than letting her believe something like that, unless you’re secretly enjoying it.”

she said a hint of the old accusatory tone creeping back in to her voice.

“Damn it woman!” David’s temper flared up, but he caught himself and took a deep breath and held it getting his emotions back under control. “I forget, they don’t teach the classics in schools anymore. The younger generation probably doesn’t know anything about the viking myths that they didn’t see in a Marvel movie. The Aesir, the Viking gods, aren’t really like what you think of when you think of gods. Even compared to say the Greek and Roman gods they are weaker versions. Honestly, compared to what

they could do in Nordic myth and legend, what she has already seen me do, it isn’t surprising that she put me in that category. It roughly fits, power level wise. They bleed, they can be killed, and in the end of time, they lose their great war. That is all from the later sagas too. Var is from an earlier time even, when the stories were even less formed and more raw, so are probably even less fanciful. When she can understand, I’ll be the first to tell her, but until she can understand, I don’t want you making her life hell over it. I just came from checking on her and she’s in tears. You understand?”

Anna was pissed now. He saw the

change come over her face but he wasn’t sure why. She was the one who had accused him of tricking the girl into thinking he was a god just to stroke his own ego. He didn’t have to wait long to find out what she was angry about though. “ME? Make her life hell? She shows up making googoo eyes at you, okay fine you say nothing happened, fine! She wants it to, and don’t tell me that she doesn’t! Then I’m having a private conversation with Violet, and that little bitch understands more English than she lets on, because she was eves dropping on the whole thing. Then has the gall to call me a selfish bitch, and lecture me about how I treat her ‘god’.” the last word is spat out with such sarcasm. “She flounces out in a

huff, and turns on the tears for you, so you’ll come and tell me to stop being a heartless bitch! Now, I’m the one making HER life hell? That’s rich!”

David felt the anger flood out of him. He just shook his head. “Do you hear yourself? You’re angry because a girl has confused feelings about a man who saved her from a bad fate? You still respond with, ‘You say nothing happened’ like that is in doubt, it is still loaded with accusation. I’m free to be with who I choose, that was the whole point of you don’t OWN me. I am with you because I choose to be, and stay because of commitments I made to you, but that doesn’t grant you ownership of

me. You were sold that lie in our old world, and enough men believed it that they let you act as if it were true, it is not, I have left you with no delusions about this matter from the very beginning.” He held up his hand to stop her from interrupting. “You say she called you selfish. I just spoke with her. I don’t think her command of the language is good enough to convey that nuanced of a meaning. You would have had to read it in to what she said.” He shrugged, “I won’t claim she didn’t mean exactly that, but from as little English as she can speak, you had to be asking yourself questions already to jump to that interpretation of her words. You are young, and for the young, everything is about themselves. That isn’t a criticism as

such, just an observation. No, it isn’t your most attractive feature, but I have faith that you will grow out of it, given time and a healthy environment. Back where we come from, a lot of women don’t ever grow out of it, but that is because of our culture. Feminism has women demanding to be the recipient of all benefits, yet shuns all responsibility and any attempt to require them to shoulder any, they play victim.” Again he held up his hand to keep her from interrupting, “Stop, please, I’ve heard it all before, chauvinism, misogyny, male dominance oh and lets not forget the favorite Patriarchy, are all key terms that come out to shield women from owning the consequences of their actions. The society, the laws, customs, and even the

language, have all been altered to embrace this new ideology.”

He gave her a tired, sad smile to meet her angry glare. “You think I am crazy. I have said things that have shut down most of your willingness to even hear what I say from here. Honestly, I think I probably hit your triggers five sentences ago. It is a Pavlovian conditioned response built in to most people by the ‘education’ system, and round the clock media cycle, so when they hear something that will contradict the pre-programmed world view, they stop listening. However, if I am wrong, then consider just this one case in point. Don’t argue it, just consider it, because we

can’t change it. The forces that are at work on society as a whole are too much to just upend them all at once, but you can look at one case and ask yourself if maybe there might have been some conditioning at work in the way you were taught to look at it. Seem reasonable enough? After all, I’m not even asking you to change your mind about it, only look at how you’ve been taught to view it more closely.” He waited to see if he would get a response. He didn’t. Not even a nod of acknowledgment that she had heard him, only a hostile glare. He inwardly sighed, this wasn’t going to get through this time, but plant the seed, who knew what might happen later in life to make it take root.

He shrugged and began to lay out his scenario, “If a man has an unexpected child that he cannot afford, and he abandons it.” He fought not to smile as her scowl deepened, “Then he is a dead beat dad. Right?”

“Of course! What business does he have fathering children if he is just going to abandon them?” she was angry, but he was glad she at least heard what he said, even if it was to give the canned conditioned response.

“If a woman has an unexpected child that she cannot afford, and she aborts,

as in kills it before it can draw breath. That is a woman’s right to choose....” he trailed off the last word.

“It’s not the same! Her body, her choice!” she replied by rote.

“Hmm...” He said. “Yet in the first case, the child lives, and in the second the child does not, in the first case the man is a villain, in the second the woman is not, yet in both cases the adult was responsible for an irresponsible act, yet one is to be held to account, and the other is not.”

“It isn’t the same at all. It is just men trying to control women’s bodies and make them have babies!” she replied angrily.

“Hmm.... so did she not have the same opportunity to use protection before having sex that he had? Or is the first case women controlling men’s wealth? I don’t think that either is an issue of control, but of being held to answer for actions you chose.”

“But what about rape and incest..”

He chuckled slightly, “sorry, not laughing at you, just at the predictability

of the programming. How about we leave those aside to deal with in a moment. How about when it isn’t?” He waited for a long moment as she sat there in angry silence. Finally he spoke up, “The point of this exercise wasn’t to change your mind on this one issue or not. It was to illustrate how culture and language and law, have been used to program people. To get them to frame their arguments and their viewpoints from a very limited framework. I don’t think I succeeded today, but then that wasn’t really the goal. The conditioning has happened every day of your life over decades. No matter how persuasive I am, I am not going to overcome that in this conversation.”

He stood and over coming her resistance took her in his arms. She was stiff and still wasn’t done with the fight, but he wasn’t fighting, she just hadn’t realized it. Gently he kissed her on the forehead, “My goal today, was to show you that I understand where you are, and how it happened to you. Also, why I am so confident that with time, and a chance to be away from the negative forces hammering at you constantly, you will have a chance to start thinking for yourself. I think that I will like the woman you will become when you can do that. If you stick around long enough, I look forward to being with her. If you chose not to, and the conditioning proves too strong... well, I’ll be saddened, but part of loving

someone is respecting them enough to leave them free to choose, even if those choices hurt. Raising Sophie was one of the things that taught me that. Our relationship isn’t the same, but in the end they all have to have that in common. So don’t be too hard on yourself, or Var, or me either.” he grinned at her. “We are all a work in progress. With time, and perspective, good people will make good choices, as long as you can keep manipulating influences from locking them in control mechanisms from birth til death.”

* * *

You Don’t Need To Like Him To Love Him

John often wished that everyone’s thoughts didn’t come crashing into his head. David was feeling old and tired, Var was feeling incompetent and useless. Violet was hurting for everyone else. Anna was in a roiling boil of conflict and too near a melt down for his comfort, and unfortunately his Sophie was fairly brittle as well. So when he saw Anna heading directly for Sophie, he was trying to think of anything he could to find a reason to keep them apart and coming up with nothing. David’s second

chance at life, and his determination to live it right and honest this time, might just blow up on him. The man thought he understood how deep the programming went, but he didn’t understand the mind nearly as well as he thought he did. If he kept ripping away people’s comfortable little illusions about life and making them look at reality, he was going to push one of them too far and not be able to bring them back. John needed to figure out how to get Sophie away before that happened.

He knew he shouldn’t be so hard on David. John knew he had an unfair advantage. Yes Sophie could be a self absorbed irrational bitch, but everyone

had flaws, and since he could look past her words to see what the real problem was, he could usually solve the problem before she realized what she was really getting mad over. Sometimes it meant giving in on stupid things, but usually what she wanted to fight about wasn’t what was bothering her. That was where most men lost patience with the game. They got bogged down in trying to fix what they were told was the issue, not knowing that it wasn’t the real issue. Almost all of the things David is mad at feminism for, are genuinely destructive it’s true, but women cling to them because each of the points of contention they have been told ‘right a wrong’. Real or imagined, doesn’t matter, nor does it matter that they rarely achieve their

stated goal, which is what has David on the warpath, what matters is she has been conditioned since birth to BELIEVE that it will right that wrong. Conditioned deeper than even most religious faiths can manage to put their doctrines in, so John knows David is fighting an uphill battle. He just goes around it by looking behind the complaint to find out what she really is hurting over, and then kissing away the hurt. He knows Sophie will never ‘see the light’, but he doesn’t need her to, he just needs her not to have her whole mental framework cracked open by her well-intentioned father, because that is a crack in her reality he isn’t sure he could fix.

He was listening to the two women commiserating with each other about what a neanderthal David is. This mutual bitch secession went on for nearly an hour, and they listed his flaws, both real and imagined in great detail. John actually found some of the description amusing, and wished he could share some of it with David, because David could use a good laugh. It would fit his sense of black sense of humor well. Life had twisted the man in some ways that was for certain, but John was the last one to throw stones on that subject. He was just about to get frustrated with them, when the tone of the conversation turned. Sophie began to remind Anna of his good qualities as well, and Anna responded to it

positively, adding to the list. Sophie said something finally that gave John hope that even if he did keep banging away at her worldview, that Sophie would be able to withstand it. It didn’t hold out much hope for poor David, and what he viewed as his divine mission as her father to deliver her from living a lie, but it gave John hope for preserving her sanity. She told Anna, “You don’t need to like him, in order to love him. I get mad at him a lot. Of course, the old dinosaur drives me crazy with his ideas from the stone age, but I remember him coming for me when no one else could or would. I remember him holding me at night when I had a bad dream. I remember him making Mike Riez pee his pants freshman year when he found out that

he was getting handsy with me at a school dance. My Daddy is a pain in the ass relic from the stone age, but if he loves you, then he will move heaven and earth, and run the devil out of hell, if that is what it takes, to make sure that you are safe, and cared for, and protected. I love him no matter how crazy he makes me. You just need to decide if you can live with that. Mom did until the day she died, and not being able to stop that nearly gutted him. It is the one thing I can honestly say nearly broke him. There was nothing he could do of course, but you couldn’t get him to see it that way. So if you stay with him, you don’t have to like everything, but you will need to learn to love it, because it is all a package deal. He is who he is,

and I don’t know of a force on this earth that could change him.”

John took a deep breath and held on to that little sliver of hope. If she could love her father like that, then she could probably find that kind of love in her heart for him too one day. He and David were not the same, but having walked through David’s mind deeper than most men he knew, after all he was tied to him more closely than he had been any other man he had ever known. They weren’t that different either. At least not on core issues.

He just wished he could get David to

ease off on the whole ‘objective truth’ bit. It wasn’t that he was wrong, far from it. I was just that people love their lies. They tell themselves so many that they don’t even realize they are doing it most of the time. ‘This is only until something better comes along.’ ‘I’m only compromising this time.’ ‘My government is on my side.’ ‘My Country are the good guys.’ ‘It’ll just be this once.’ ‘It’s not really wrong if no one knows and no one gets hurt.’ ‘They can afford to lose that money anyway.’ ‘Anything that feels this right couldn’t possibly be wrong’ So many lies, big and little, if you really try to strip all of those away from people, they will turn on you. Or they might just go catatonic.

Very few people will ever allow that level of honest self evaluation. He will end up ruining his second chance, and John is just heart sick, and soul weary, that there is probably nothing he can do to talk him out of it. He nearly busts out loud laughing, though with no one around he briefly wonders why he bothered holding back, the same admonition applied to him. Just because they would never be sleeping together didn’t matter. When it came to his new brother and his flaws, you didn’t have to like him to love him.

* * *

Treasure Fleet

David saw it and excitement ran up his spine. He started to radio John, but before he triggered the mic, he heard John’s voice, “So we finally found them! Now, how do you propose we take out their guard fleet with two combatants and a ship full of non-combatants?”

David keyed the mic, “Very carefully of course. Remember, it is a long way to Spain, so we have months. If we try to do this all at once, we will end up with one of the girls hurt. I’m kicking myself for not building them armor. Not because I want them to fight, but just so that they can’t be hit by a stray round.”

John grunted, “Yeah, wish I had thought of that too. Not to mention having access to coms and drones and even flotation and survival gear. Should we call this off until we can outfit everyone properly?”

David hesitated a long time. He knew John was following his thoughts as they were churning through his head. That was the downside to having a mind reading partner, he felt like he couldn’t think because someone was looking over his shoulder. No sooner had the thought popped into his head, than John’s voice came over the coms again, “Look, I can’t exactly turn it off, but I can focus in on Sophie for a while. That is always fascinating to me, and while distracted

with that, I won’t be paying attention to what you’re doing. It should let you have some ‘alone time’ to work whatever magic you need to work.”

David laughed, “Sorry, call it performance anxiety. Just long enough for me to look at all the different angles without having to worry about if the idea is stupid or not.”

“I get it, but if it is stupid and it works...”

“Then it ain’t stupid.” David finished for him.

David’s mind set to tearing apart the problem of four warships guarding one big fat slow treasure ship. If they could get on board, they could cut down the crews with ease, but getting on board meant getting their ship with their family on it within range of those cannon. If he could somehow stay out of cannon range... maybe on a longboat, but they didn’t have an outboard motor. They might be able to rig up one that ran off of the solar panels that they had, but then they might run low on power to power the main ship... Suddenly it hit him, and he felt stupid for not thinking of it sooner. He hit the mic, “John, call everyone together, I’ve figured it out!”

Once he had them all seated in the galley, David smiled at them broadly, “Everyone gets to help, if they want to.” The ladies all looked at each other in surprise. Sophie and Anna had been making noises about the men and their chauvinist ways for insisting that they sit on the sidelines, so this sudden change of heart made them suspicious.

Sophie decided to be the one to ask, “Okay, why the sudden change of heart, what’s the catch?”

David shrugged, “No catch. I thought I would offer you ladies the chance to

handle the warships, and then John and I will handle boarding the treasure ship itself since it probably has the most marines on it. Warships tend to mostly have sailors. Typically not as aggressive on hand to hand combat.”

Sophie still eyeing him, nodded. “Okay, sounds reasonable enough. So what’s your plan?”

“Well, just like I taught you, fight like a girl, cheat. So night attack. With the drones.” he smiled when he heard the groans. “You remember when we were drone fishing, and they would drop the bait into the water? Well this time instead of bait, it will be incendiaries.

You’ll swarm in, all on one boat, drop your Molotov cocktails on the decks, preferably near the powder storage by the cannon if they were foolish enough to leave it out, and then while one flies up to watch and see how they do, the others will RTB for a recharge and to reload if necessary. We lather, rinse, and repeat, until ship one is sunk. We wait until the next night, and we hit ship two. Then we give it ten days, and wait for continual heightened state of readiness to wear them down, and ship three goes to the bottom. Ship four follows in two weeks. Then we deliver a surrender message to our prize. At that point they either surrender or sink. Of course they will likely pretend to surrender, then

turn on us, but John and I in our armor can handle it. At that point, we’ll have more than we can carry, so we pick the cream of the portable crop, then find a worthy soul on the crew, give him the chance to take it back to his king and be a great hero to his people, or take it for himself and set himself up as king somewhere. Won’t really matter either way, everything resets when we leave, but what we take with us, eh?” He laughed, this was just the distraction the needed, something to focus on besides all of the personal drama. These folks were coming from South America, Emeralds and Rubies, yes he wanted to get on that treasure ship.

* * *

Hoist the Black

Violet was collecting all of the drone footage from the raid on the treasure fleet and compiling it into a single file. David had said that he wanted to save it, and this was her chance to improve her computer skills. The first night was jumbled, because they spent so much time flying around and around the whole fleet trying to pick the order of their targets. Inspecting each ship for strengths and weaknesses, and trying to select which of the ships would likely have the best option for chasing them down if the Spanish decided to try to find them. They selected that one to be taken out first.

To everyone’s great disappointment, no powder was stored on deck by the cannons. There would be no quick easy explosions to be had. However, a little lamp oil mixed with some doubly distilled rum still managed to make a sufficiently expedient accelerant. When paired with a little phosphorus from an emergency flare it could be lit via an electronic circuit, then dropped onto the decks. The first night of course no one had any idea what was coming, and the ship was engulfed in flames before enough people were even roused by the watch to have a chance to combat the flames. The other ships looking on in dismay were helpless to do more than

fish out the few sailors who managed to abandon ship before being overcome by smoke inhalation. The vessel burned to the waterline before noon and was soon lost beneath the waves.

Suspecting it to only be a freak accident, the second night went much the same. Only the chaos and and panic were greatly intensified. For the following week the drones did only recon missions. The tension in the fleet was easy to see in the video, and when they were able to sail close enough, John is on the camera giving his report of their mental state. As the constant state of alertness with no further incident began to take its toll,

and lethargy settled back in on the crew, the drones were sent out again loaded with the incendiaries. Shots rang out into the night and cannon fired blindly, but given the size of the drones and the darkness of the sky, no drone even came close to being hit.

As the fleet was now down to one warship and the treasure ship herself, panic set in. Too far from shore to even try to run, and stark terror at being the next on to fall caused a mutiny. The forth warship’s crew rose up, killed its officers and in their panic, didn’t even make a grab for the treasure ship, they simply turned tail and ran, fleeing the curse that

followed their ill-gotten cargo, happy to escape with their lives. David and John opted to let them go.

When they hoisted the Jolly Rogers, and put on sail to intercept the treasure ship, they also sent out the drones. She could hear on the video the drone’s speaker broadcast in Spanish instructions to the ship’s Captain to strike his sail, and his colors. It was obvious that they couldn’t outrun our ship, and it was closing on them. The drone’s mic was not powerful enough to pick up what was discussed, but it showed the Captain having a meeting with his officers. Then it showed chests being brought up, and

weapons being handed out. Even knowing what was coming, Violet’s heart sank all over again. When the boy came running up from below decks with charge for the cannon, the small laser on the drone clicked on. The camera showed the purple spot glow on the burlap bag, then the tiny wisps of smoke, and then the whole scene shook violently. The drone had been knocked out of the air, but the camera still functioned. When the smoke blew away, the deck was strewn with body parts. The boy’s body, blown like shrapnel into the other sailors and officers who were standing nearby.

Meanwhile, the camera cut to a second

drone, this one flying up high in the rigging, using its laser to burn most of the way through multiple lines. Lines that were already under great tension. In the confusion of orders that came in the explosion's aftermath, those lines were put under additional stress, and they snapped. It resulted in only a very few injuries, but decreased the effectiveness of the sails even further.. Again in Spanish the drone’s speakers intoned, “Strike your colors and live!”. Soon there was a power struggle on the deck of the boat as factions, now armed, set upon each other. By the time David and John had actually made their way aboard, most of the fighting was over.

Unfortunately, the loyalists had won the day, and the next video clips were from his suit mounted cameras showing he and John making quick work of that. It was as brutal as it was quick, and in the end those who survived were barely enough to man the vessel. The last video scenes she saw was of the living tossing the dead into the sea, and then the screen went black. Violet sighed. Seemed David and John were having them clean up before the rest of the family arrived.

The ship had been let drift after they had boarded the treasure ship, so that they didn’t have to worry about anyone getting behind them and going after the

family. It would be an hour or so before she could join David and John. Somehow, she suspected most signs of the battle would be removed by the time they got there. She loved that man. He would not treat them like children, and would let them fly the drones to help in the fighting, but he still treated them like ladies, and would try to save them unnecessary unpleasantness when he could. She had never met a man who could strike that balance before. In the world her author had created they just didn’t exist. Maybe that was part of the problem, she mused, limited imagination.

* * *

Lessons Learned

David took them into the treasure hold, and grinned with pleasure at the astonished looks on their faces. His family was seeing for the first time in their lives, perhaps the only time in their lives, riches beyond imagining. Gold and silver measured by the ton, was just the beginning. Casks of uncut gem stones that would be difficult for one of the ladies to lift unaided. Aztec, Incan, and Mayan artifacts that quite frankly would be considered priceless by many collectors if they could be validated as authentic.

Add to that spices and dyes, and other exotic luxuries that would fetch exorbitant prices back in Europe at this time and the wealth represented by this cargo hold would fuel and empire for a year. David let them run wild for a time, simply because there was no reason not to allow them their fantasies. Eventually though he had to break the sad news to them, and have harsh reality intrude upon them. “Select out any pieces that you particularly like if you find anything you want to personally keep, but for the most part, forget the gold. It is too bulky. There is far more of it than we could ever carry away.” At their gasps of disbelief, he and John both found themselves laughing, “We’ll focus on the gemstones. As a general rule of thumb, they will

prove more valuable by weight, and as we have a limited amount we can take with us...”he shrugged. “Normally, I would suggest the relics as well, but authentication would be difficult, and with all the laws protecting ‘culturally significant archaeological finds’ we would have to move them on the black market, and lets just say that would require contacts I don’t have . We could get them, but it would send up red flags all over the world to show up with this much at once that hadn’t been already accounted for.”

“But Daddy! We can’t just leave this for the Spanish to have! You know how they got it!” Sophie whined.

John put his hand on David’s shoulder to keep him from blowing up at his daughter. He took a deep breath, “Sophie, I love you, and despite what those idiot professors have shoveled into your head, there were no good guys in that story. Yes, the Spanish were right bastards, but they were right bastards to people who themselves had conquered their neighbors, were also slaveholders, and yes did in fact commit mass murder as part of their religious ceremonies. Other groups who engaged in ritualistic torture and yet others who practiced cannibalism. The goal of your leftist college professors was to tear down Western Civilization so that they could build up their Communist Utopia, so of

course they only told one side of the story. I’m not saying this to justify what the Spaniards did, only to put it in context. The same goes for most of what you got in your revisionist history classes. Before you say it, yes the conservative right used to gloss over the atrocities and paint especially the English colonizers as noble civilizers bringing the gift of civilization to the savages, and that was just as skewed, and again, just as the abuses of the Aztecs can’t excuse the Conquistadors, the abuses of the right do not excuse the abuses of the left. I keep hoping that you will one day learn to be an adult and look past the propaganda on all sides.” He let out a long sigh.

Shaking his head, he continued, “Besides, there is more to it than that. It wouldn’t make any difference. When we leave, everything resets. Why do you think I had no qualms about burning those ships and killing all of those men for these trinkets? Hmm? Nothing we do here really matters in the long run. Not after we leave. The author set the destiny of these worlds in stone. We can make what ever changes we want, while we are here, and as soon as we go, everything reverts back. All of those sailors will still make port, as will all of the things we take. The only place where we can make a real difference, is out there in the real world. Here,” he

gave a scornful laugh, “The only thing we change here, is ourselves.” He looked to the people in his little family who had been pulled from books and gave a sad smile, “and occasionally, for a select small few, we can pull them out into the real world with us, and change the fate of THAT VERSION of them. Even so, a version, still resets and fulfills the destiny assigned to it by the author of the book.”

Sophie looked a bit distraught, and John moved over to hold and comfort her, “Why are we here then? What is the point if we can’t change anything?”

David’s voice became softer and his reply was filled with compassion, “I didn’t say that nothing changed. Nothing changes FOR THEM. Just like when you read a good book though, hopefully something changes IN YOU. Hopefully it challenged you in some little way. Maybe it taught you something, or made you think about something that you hadn’t thought about before and contributed to your growth as a person. Think about what lessons you’ve learned in your weeks sailing with us. Time spent with John, or Anna, or Violet, or Var? Did any of them show you something? Let you practice something, or explore an idea in the safety of this book, that maybe you couldn’t have done in the real world?

Could you ever have taken part in pirating a ship?” He smiled at her.

“These are all lessons we take with us into the real world. Maybe the biggest lesson we take, is even when you can’t change the world, you can still change yourself. How you see something. Maybe how you choose to respond to it? These factors are in our control, as long as we don’t give that control up to others by unquestioningly accepting the assumptions that are presented to us as facts.” David shrugged, “You’re past the age where I can make these decisions for you. Eventually, you will have a husband, and hopefully he will be a wise man, and he can help. Value that help if

it comes. We all need someone we can count on to help us make sure we are seeing the world as it is, and not as we hope it would be. Dealing with the world as we hope it would be, or as we fear it might be, instead of how it is... well that is a recipe for disaster.”

Sophie slumped against a stack of heavy gold bars. “I just wanted a nice simple normal life. I don’t really want to change the world, I just wish it would be a nicer place.”

John kissed her forehead, “We all do baby.”

David chuckled softly and without

humor, “The old adage, just because you don’t take an interest in politics, doesn’t mean it will not take an interest in you, is true. Or I suppose in our case it would be relic hunters. Anyway, the good news is the time they had given for the quarantine is up, so we should be able to load up and go back. You’ll be able to go buy a boat with John, and be able to afford a nice one now. And if we’re lucky, the relic hunters will forget you exist. If not, well, I think I have an idea for my next project. No guarantees of course, but as I get further along, maybe I’ll clue you in and see if you like it better than the boat. The thing about

the real world, is the future may have an outline, but it isn’t written yet, and it isn’t written, then it means you can write it how YOU want it. So make the most of it.”

Just The Beginning