My writings, old and new...: 06/01/2023

[1] This poem was recited at the start of a last season episode of “Mythbusters”. I looked but could not find this poem on-line and therefore have no idea who wrote it. I figure I can treat this as a Public Domain item.


Name of the book:  Dent 2018
          Author:  M.W. Bell
    Type of book:  Fantasy

Prelude

In a secluded part of the Central City, a building that looked like it might have once been an old tower used buy an old military command stood In silent repose. There were a couple of signs outside the main entrance. These signs stated a branch of the City Planning Burau was there; a Planning Burau of the Central Kingdom ‘s Navy and a very discrete sign advising “Private Residences”. The building was perhaps 5 or stories in height and with the width of the frontage, which pushed up against other building, few wee aware of just how deep the building was . No one could tell from the outside that multiple basements and sub-basements underlay this building and its neighbors. They could not know either that supplies moving into the surrounding buildings made their way into the basement supply storage areas. There was something else not advertised.

IT was the “Home of the Cousins” and these cousins included Mages of intellectual interests .

It was the home of the House of Assassins.

Dent, his wife Loraine and their family in quarters when the outsiders attacked. Great Aunt Lenoir reading to Dent’s 3rd child who adored Lenoir. Lenoir was seated at a table across from her great niece, who was finger painting frosting on cookies she planned to surprise the family with. Her parents were carefully not noticing this, and her three siblings were oblivious.

A sound almost low enough to be considered subtle was heard from the hallway. All three adults knew it to be a threat sound. Great Aunt Lenoir grabbed her grandniece, hauled her to an emergency exit, opened it and pushed the confused child through. Dent handed his two smallest children to Lenoir who rushed into the emergency exit. Their eldest pressed close behind her Great Aunt, clinging to the back of her robe's sash.

Loraine and Dent shut the entrance to the emergency tunnels. Then they armed themselves with assault daggers and brass knuckles and selected defensive positions. The first attacker entered and lunged towards Lenoir.

She feinted an attack with her dagger. The attacker swayed to his left and didn’t realize Lenoir’s right hand was covered with brass knuckles and those brass knucklers were slammed into his midriff., Dent slashed his throat with his dagger.,

The second attacker entered and lurched to a halt against his dead comrade’s body. This was just a brief hesitation, but it was long enough for both Dent and Loraine to gut him and then Dent caved in the side of the attacker’s head. This was not what Dent had expected but then Dent was considerably stronger than even he was aware of.

A third attacker entered the room, paused briefly and was knocked out by Dent. Loraine tied his hands behind his back, pried his mouth open and decided the attacker was not carrying a poison pill. Dent tied the attacker’s feet. They expected this man would provide useful, actionable, intelligence and they were correct in this.

* * *

Lenoir was simultaneously slushing the four children and encouraging them to walk faster. She was almost surprised when an intruder appeared into the tunnel from what she thought was a secret entrance from other families’ quarters.

@"Old woman, you can't be a target. Hand over those little bastards for arrest! "

The intruder's short sword had blood of the delicate shade of off red of Dent's people.

The Great Aunt cowered against the wall and as he squeezed by, he called her a cowardly piece of shit; she buried her blade in his right kidney, twisted it and then slashed his throat. She looked at the four children and said, "Don't touch his filthy body."

She had already wiped her blade off on the dead man's clothing.

@"Hold hands and walk in file like little ducks."

She sneered at her kill and snarled a single syllable word that meant "invasive intestinal parasite”.

The children never forgot the fury with which their great aunt had fought for them.

Loraine[i]

^ * *

The General Alarm was sounding.

Both Fathers of Loraine and Dent burst into the room.

@” Where are your children", her Father demanded?

@"Great Aunt Lenoir took all four into the escape tunnel. "

His Father opened the escape hatch, entered the tunnel and was gone briefly. Upon returning he stated: "She killed an attacker, but the children are likely safe. I did not find trace of the blood of our grandchildren."

One of the Fathers looked out the door and saw 3 of his nieces and 2 of his nephews, fully armed and in battle fugue. He looked at them and said " Follow Dent and Lorain through the tunnell. Muster in the sally port and wait until a Senior Offidcer releases you to leave the House. Obtain supplies and patrol to the Temple. Fight as necessary to kill the invaders but remember, escaping from this House is your most important mission."

@"We obey Father, " one said and the five entered the escape tunnel. The two Fathers replaced the door and glanced out into the hallway. They saw one of the Grandfather of Assassin's messengers, a large and harmless looking Hobbit (the Hobbit was far from harmless).

@"The Grandfather wants all personnel to muster at the second deck sally port and engage the invaders. "

@"Then we need weapons, " said the Father of Loraine as he ran to a hidden weapons locker. The two Fathers had bee4n armed with daggers

He opened the locker and said "I suggest compound boss and and heavy arrow heads for us. Rupert (the Hobbit's name) what do you want?"

@"Heavy throwing darts and I suggest you both take no sticks. "

One of the apparently human Fathers handed 2 quivers of heavy arrows to the other Father, who put them around his waist. He handed a purse of heavy darts to the Hobbit. He put his two quivers around his waist, handed a no stick and compound now to the other Father and took two such instruments for himself.

The Hobbitt shut the weapons locker hatch and took the lead.

"I can walk hunched over and can direct you fire."

Both Fathes grunted agreement. She lead the way down hidden stairs to the second deck sally port . They were close enough to tell their people from the invaders; the Hobbit gave initial firing assignments and the three joined the battle .

The invaders were battle hardened veterans who were quickly overwelmed. Parents were sending their children into cleared escape routes, where they met with Dent and the other "children". Finally, Rupert addressed Dent and his people:

We were attacked by visitors an agency of the Emperor ordered the Grandfather to house. The Grandfather will have words with the Emperor! The enemy has fled the House and you are the survivers. Grandfather said 'tell them to find supplies and go to the other Temple. The Son (second in command) has gone to arrange temporary sanctuary. Go with our God, my young oners."

Later, the experience of patrolling to the supply center they looted, going to the other Temple and then taking shelter in the stronghold of an apparently minor noble would haunt her for years.

There were amusing events. One elderly Human, who did kitchen cleanup, had totally lead the invaders to think she was harmless. Her Professiinal Performance in attacking from behind two invaderrs and slaughtering them with a sauce pan of boiling water and a very heavy meat cleraver, won.her respect and fear in near equal amounts.

* * *

Loraine, wife of Dent, sat with their four children in an inner room of the Temple of the Way. They had gone to the City Gate earlier that morning to watch Dent and their surviving relatives as they made their way west of the city. There was no sign of the attackers who had murdered xx members of their clan. More worrying was there had been no reports of the support troops they knew had to be lurking in the city. True, the city and it’s population was large but still, watchers in the various neighborhoods or bodages or within the government agencies should have identified lurkers.

Being part of a monstatic clan, Loraine and her family had never had much contact with the city they lived within.Theyh were in deep cover and anty hunters should not know where they were.

Aside from visits from the Temple Monks, kitchen staff and one of the handful of Priests, Loraine had little to do but watch her children plan in a desultory manner and to grievge. She was almost glad when the Temple “General Alarm” was sounded and a drum beat meaning “intruders” was sounded.

A priest burst into the room and said “Quickly, Loraine, brting your children and follow me!”

He took the hand of two of the children and Loraine took the other children’s hands and they exited the room into a hallway where a Monk held open the door to what had to be a secret passageway. Lorainne began to grasp they truth of who had been behind the design of the Temple. Two other Monks quickly santised their room, taking the children’s toys and two comfort blankets with them before running to the passageway. After they entered, the gatekeeper pulled the door shut and made sure it was properly shut. The light was extinguished and the group went deeper into the Temple and into a small room. This room had benches.

The Priest nodded and said “This room has soundproofing and is in the back of a heravily loaded storeroom. It is quite safe. Brother Whisper will sit with you. I am going to my Muster Station and will take command of my section. Brother Whisper can break out short swords if needful but it weill not be necessary for you to be armed.”

The Priest left and Brother Whisper smiled sadly and said “this won’t take long. We have far more residents and are far better combat trained than outsiders would suspect. We can talk of many things, if you like?”

After a few minutes, Loraine began to quietly talk about the fight and about missing her Dent. She changed the subject when the children wondered over. The oldest child talked about their Great Aunt killing a man and her fury.

The youngest child giggled and said “Great Aunt Lenoir said a bad word and repeated the word. Brother Whisper made an exaggerated show of shock at the word and this amused the children.

The single syllable word that meant "invasive intestinal parasite” was the most mild of the “horrible curse words” that he knew and he was glad the children had not been exposed to much worst. They would eventually…

The language of the Houisde of Assassins had words which described horrible actions and reactions to said horrible actons. These were two sylabol words and were considered the most opbscene words in their languages. These wee words spoken in traijing sessions and in after actions reorts and in olanning but never in polite conversations.

It was only later she learned that Brother Whisper was more than a Monk and Martial Artist, jhe was also a well trained psychologist.

* * *

The design of the Temple came from an earlier time when religious houses were often invaded, searches and valuables stolen. Well hidden secret passageways and hidden dumbwaiters were developed. Weapons could be moved from floor to floor via dumbwaiters and even children could be sent to safety in the dumb waiters.

The Monks knew their House intimately and the invaders were baffled by the dead ends and maze like construction of the private areas. Some of the invaders were taken alive and sent to the House of Assassins for interrogaton.

These survivors were given medical treatment and were treatred kindly. They qwewe nort threatened and were not touched let alone mistrearted. They simply were facedf with interrogators who had deep knowledge of human nature; these were born truth finders Dent and KG had been Commander and Executive Officer (respectively) of one unit when they had lived in the House. These interogrators hurt from the lost of DFent’s people and wanted answeres!

Those who attacked the Temple were membrers of a militia taken from City 3. They had not berern involved in the assault in the House of QAssassins. All they knew about them was those attakers had been members of sme speial fores uinit taken from villages in the far eastern desert regins. These people looked like the people of the Central Naton since their parents had come from the Central Region. They had been raised to be warriors and to perform in spedialized ways. Beyond that, the survivors of this militia knew little.

These survivors were released but released with imbedded cumpulsions to remember their activities and what they were ordered to do, rememvber where where they were and who commanded them and to covertlyu report this information to drop points Over the years, unsuspeded “enemy agents” were disclosed and monitored. This lead to a multiple entujries long intelligene olleftion operation as their target sought the genetically modified and did so ot realkizing they were being monitored by a very subtle collective of small agencies reporting to the Grandfathers of the Assassin Guild, Thieves Guild and Religious Guild. Later, much later, several Magical and Illusionist Sects would join them.

* * *

Several Months Later In Sanctuary

As Dent sat in what was normally a make shift tavern for Half Orc and Elven Engineers, he sipped from a glass of a hoppy lager the Elves liked and waited for the invietable: he awaited newly weds coming to talk about being newly weds.

The Elders (and he still found it hard to think of himself as being an “Elder”) were to join Dent when his people arrived. This meeting was something that Dent, Rowena (leading Elder of the Orc), Thunder on the Craigs (leading Elder of the Half-Orc and Forrest Martin (the Human Denisovans Elder who was reluctant leader of the House of the Fish) had joked over glassers of wine and predicted weeks before the mass wedding of Dent’s people.

The meeting was simply in response to the expected reaction of the newly weds to their marriages, honeymoons, such as they were, and the return to so much of their old lives.

One of the Elven women who were preparing refreshments looked from the kitchen and cleared her throat. Dent nodded thanks and stood. In small groups, three of the newly wed human men and all twenty of the newly wed human women walked in. They were accompanied by Rowena and Thunder on the Craig. The fourth human husband came in with 3 sets of Half-Orc newly weds and the newly wed Elven couple. After seating his friends, this human husband, James, nodded to Dent and joined his four wives.

”We greet you,” Dent began. “There is an old tradition of newly weds being joined by members of their familiesand clans and just talking. There is vast wisdom and humour in family; listen for it.”

The Elven women and men who had prepared refreshments had began to walk in. One woman asked Dent “may we join you?”

Dent looked at his guests and said “are you comfortable with more family joining us?”

All the new brides and grooms nodded and Dent smiled and said “of course you must join the families!”

”Some conversations can be so hard to start. I remember my honeymoon. Loraine and I went to a fishing village on the shore of the Great River and enjoyed swimming, then went to a village and joined in the folk dances.” He sighed. “The folk dances were too much like martial art katias but much less rigeorous. Then we went fishing and ended up falling, delibertly falling, off the boats since swimming was more fun. Then, we came back home and long talks with family about our expectations. My parents suddenly seemed much wiser and gave us good advise on sex and times of no sex and dealing with emotions. Seems like you have to actually be married to understand being married. So, I’ll let someone else talk.”

No one else spoke and one of the maids said “my grandmother told my man and I to treat each ay as courting. She and my great uncle warned us of days of no courting that meant be polite but not afraid to talk; of true things that mater.”

Rowena spoke next: “KG, you look too pensive, speak what is in your heart.”

I thought shasring my husband weith four other women was be fairtly easy but I was wrong. I find I am jelious and wish I were the one involved. “

One of her co-wives murmurre3d “me to”.

James, her husband burst out “I feel happy to be making love to my wifes, but I also feel guild like I was cheating on the rest. It is an uncomfortable feeling.”

”Perhaps you should try all being in the bedroom together and being less rigid in what you do and who you do it with?” Thus spoke one of the other wives.

The Half-Orc, Thunder on the Craig had remarkably sensitive insights and advise. Rtowena had some unexpectiidly candide and lustfilled rermarks while Dent had some earthly jokes everyone got immediately,.

if Rowena and Dent were exchanging intense looks than that was just because they were friends; no one else in the room saw this as mere friendship between the two. It seemed Dent could be grieving his lost family and be strongly drawn to Rowena. This attraction was something neither would consciously be aware of for years to come.

* * *

Several days later, Thunder on the Craig alled a meeting with Dent and his four brothers.

”My young men, I’m afraid I have bad news for you. Your days of working in the mines are over. We would appreciate your help in beginning the farms and in mapping underground water. We need everyone’s help once we begin to harvest our crops.”

”What do you want us out of the mines?” Ten was puzzled.

”For the same reason that I have exiled nearly all of my Orcs and all of my Elves. We simply do not need to continue mining. Many years ago, my ancestors were genetically modified to make us more gentile and better suited for mining. What we mined was smuggled out and sold or traded for items our ‘masters” (he snarled the word) wanted. We killed these ‘masters’ and all trace of our true location was lost. “

Dent and his four brothers had reacted with anger to Thunder’s remarks by increasing their emotion driven smell. Thunder could read this small easily as it was very much an Orc emotional response as well.

To change the subject, Jesse asked: “Where did the external guard come from?”

The monsters who established this little city needed a guard service to both keep us in and to keep outsiders away. These guards were very expensive to create and needed strong reasons to keep them from committing suicide and to keep them from deciding the best way to end their servitude would be to kill us all. After all, if the prisoneers you guard are dead, there is no need for guards.”

”How did you free yourselves?”

”It was not an expected and simple matter, Dent,” Thunder replied. “The leader of the External Guard came to the Half-Orc and Elven leaders and said “Do you want your freedom?”

The old leaders said “yes”.

”The outsiders do not know where the mines are and where the miner’s food comes from. They actually think we are located on the eastern edge of the Great Sea. Their entire command structure will be standing out side the bad lands east of this village. We can exterminate them easily. What about the few inside the Village?”

The Half-Orc leader replied “They want to personally inspect my miners in the deeper areas. They say we are ‘bolloxing off’. We will let them enjoy the poison air in some of the deeper tunnels and then close the tunnel ahead of them.”

The Half-Orcs lert their victims “enjouy the poison air” and trapped the unconscious men. They didn’t realize thee men were knocked out by plants in their lunch and it took then days to suffocate.

Dent’s people simply nodded in approval.

”The Elven cooks made delicious meals for our masters. The meals had poison in them and the cooks have meat cleavers. The bodies were fed to hungry boars. Every since then, none of us can stomach the thought of eating boar meat; we rasie boards to serve in the External Guard. They do very well at hiding the actions of the External Guard and are apparently happy to eat the meat the External Guard leaves behind.”

”Why do the External Guard protect Sanctuary?”

”They were designed to protect us and simply can not think of any other way to live. I know, I have askedf them.”

”There were External Guard members present at the mass wedding of Dent’s people’s weddings and the subsequent weddings. There could easily be External Guard moving across the city on their way from one side to the other.

”Then what shall we do?” Ten was upset at this change in his life.

”We will train, we will continue our religious activities, we will work at future jobs and will be good husbands and good men.”

There could be no doubt that Dent could preach!

”We have two good examples my brothers,” Ten commented.

* * *

The following morning, Dent had lead his group – which included some Elves – through a somewhat relaxed bout of PT. The Elves were exhausdted an his kin folk worried about Dent. They were more concerned when he handed the Martial Arts drills over to Ten and KG and said he “had some paperwork to attend to”.

This made no sense.

Dent spent over an hour writing about his family life in a grief filled autobiography and with this catharsis done, he turned to another and more interesting matter: outlining the Martial Arts stylkes tauight at the Temple and favoured by at least 10 Masters or Students.

His family came to him and looked at the stacks of paper around h”Dent, talk to us. What is bothering you?” KG was quite concerned.”You don’t normally leave instruction succession without planning it out days in advance. You especially do not delegate instruction duties in a distracted fashion and wander off. “

”Truly, I was upset. I came here and wrote about my family. My out pourings are in a folder buried under some papers. Some day I will add to it. I’d like everyone to write about your families, especially your parents and grandparents. What ever you say must be kept private. Someday, we will have to repeat this without reference to what you to choose to write today, if you do. Somedauy, the truth of our lives will be pieced together from the various versions.”

”Would you like to speak more about this Dent”, asked his sister Linda.

”No, I don’t want to face that pain. I have a better idea. We know various forms in 7 different shools. We have done them so many times we know every mode frm mussel memory. Students won’t know. We need to preserve our history. I’ve started writing down the names and descriptions of beginning level actions in the 7 styles.”

”Then why do you have 15 descriptions?”

”Some of you have different ideas of what should constitute ‘Beginning Levil’

”Are there more than 15 styles?”

”I believe there are KG. There is the ‘boat based kick based style you were talking about.”

”I got the notionsd from speaking with Forrerst Martin’s idle daughter. I suspect she got the ideas from quote some barbarians from the northern lands unquote.”

”You have always been interested in styles feature kicking. Why not work on these and give them a suitable name.

”You know we are rather busy now, Dent.”

”You are now KG but your definition of ‘busy’ can and probably will change. All of you know what you have been trained in and what you like. We can find ways of fitting your interest into what is available here in Sanctuary or in House of The Fish. You might be able to spread out into City 5 if the correct opportunities open. After all, a Honey Moon does not last forever”

”And what truly is a ‘Honey Moon;?”

”Why Margarat, a ‘Honey Moon’ is a brief time filled with interesting things to do, places to go, food to eat and drink to drink in between bouts of fucking your brains out!”

”That was crude!” KG was outraged.

”Yes it was but then weren’t you the one who told Forrest something about be telling jokes that went over people’s heads?”

”Yes, I did old brother. I think I said something about folks not knowing if you had told a joke and then wondering what the point of your joke was.”

”Really? Where they that bad?”

”Yes. Yes. Yup. Sometimes and other words of agreement were heard.”

”Ah, my feelings are hurt and I am deper3essed.” Dent was clearly lying.

”That was not believable Dent!” Rowena had entered unobserved.

”I suppose.” Dent then sighed. What don’t I have my young critics write sermons with their own congregation winning jokes and we can be amused?”

”That would be fine and I look forward to this,” Rowena agreed.

Rowena looked at Dent’s grief laden sheets, which KG was glaring at. The folder with these sheets had been removed from their hiding place under some Martial Arts sheets and was being held by another of Dent’s sisters. Rowena took the folder and nodded back

”What is the main premise of your new style, KG?”

”Ships have rolling decks and that must be compensated for. Sailor below deck might find it necessary to lean again a bulkhead to maintain their balance.”

”This sounds like an excellent idea, KG. I suspect your techniques would require considerable theoretical analysis and a mock up of a boat. Once your methods prove valid in a static environment, it should be possible to go to a moving environment.”

”That will not be for some time. Now, shall we go wash up before our noon meal. I can see the head Waitreess making hand washing gestors.”

Dent’s youngsters headed off to the washroom and Rowena waited until they were truly out of ear shot.

”Did you notice your sister’s clever and subtle distraction that allowed me to take possession of your statement?”

”Yes, I did. She has gotten much better over the years.”

” Do you want me to read this?”

”Yes I think I do Rowena. It is very personal and about my life in the ‘before time’.”

”Is this something we might discuss over some of the strong liquors Forrest Martin obviously is importing from forbidden contacts with the ‘savages in the north’?”

”Yes, my dear, it is.”

Dent and Rowena were careful to limit any endeerments to when they thought no one could hear them. Both knew the old adages of ‘the heart wants what the heart wants’ to be a true one. They also knew to tread slowly and softly.

It took them nearly a week before Dent asked Forrest for some of the strong booze from the north. Forrest sent back a letter asking why. Rowena replied for both of them and told them of Dent’s letter. Forrest and his wife replied they would attend this wake if invited. Regina invited them for a date later that month. When Dent and Rowena invited Thunder on the Craig and his wife, Thunder simply replied “we have been expecting this date.”

Dent’s people told Dent and Rowena they written grieving letters and wanted to share them.

Forrest and his wife had arrived several days early. The Elders agreed they would be willing to attend a wake for the entire group. Dent and Rowena conviended

”You rememvber that I wrote of my, our, losses. I asked all of you to write a similar document as a way of mourning. Have any of you done so?
As next Eldest, Ten spoke. “We have all written such remembrances and have been wondering who we could discuss them with?”

”We have invited Thunder and his wife and Forrest and his wife to speak with Rowena and I. I have considered inviting Brother Luther Stegg and Brother Johnatan and their wives. I’m sure we would be willing to listen.”

”Please invite Brothers Luther and Johathan and their wives. I know we would like them to attend.”

”Indeed, James, I would like them to attend. We can plan this gathering when they can be here. Now, does anyone have any nasty jokes. Better yet, any dirty jokes?”

Several of Dent’s clan could have done well in stand up comnedy…

The next day, a Courier left Sanctuary and went to visit Forrest Martin and his wife First, he had to speak with Forrest’s Secretary, otherwise known as Forrest’s Aunt.

”Good morning, I have asked to express friendly greetings from the City’s leadership to Forrest and to ask him for a favour”

”That favour would be, young lady?”

” The Old Ones would like Brother Luther Stegg, his wife, Brother Jonathan and his wife, to attend the wake,. I have former letters of invitation but no way of getting them to the Old Gentlemen and their wives. Perhaps you could help?”

”Perhaps I can?”

This was not the reply the young courier had expected.

”Go through the door, knock first and make your report to Elder Martin. While this happened, the Aunt/Secretary went to the maikl room and asked the clerk to bring a Courier Pilot to her office.

Martin left his office with the young courier and said “We need a Courier Boat to City 5”.

A Courier Captain/Pilot, who normally commanded a fishing boat, walked in and said “you summounded e?”

”We need a letter delivered to The Temple of the New Way. You will probably remain overnight and then bring four guests back with you. Are you and your crew willing?”

”Certainly, Forrest!”

Part of being on duty in expectation of a Courier Run was having a change of clothing packed and kit with emergency food, personal weapons , medicines and books packed. The Courier Captain/Pilot, a second cousin of Forrest Martin named Pistris Martin.

”Please have this note forwarded to the Sheriff of City 5. It would be nice if we could have an excort to and from the Temple of the New Way. Just give this to the Port Director.

”Yes, Forrest. Do yu mind if we have a quick snack before leaving this afternoon. “

”We’ll have lunch sent up.”

”Some twenty minuts later, workers brought up sandwiches and tea. If was a quick but appreciated lunch. The courier boat, with the two letters in Pistris Martin’s Courier Safe, left out of the Inner Harbour and was blessed with strong winds. The trip to the Government Dock in Ctiy 5 went surprisingly quick.

Pistris Martin simply gave the letter for the Port Guard who gave it to a Mounted Sheriff’s Guard. A reply came back shortly that Pistris Martin could expect three light carriages called “traps” to be available shortly They would have a mounted escort for the journey to the Temple of the New Way.

When the “traps” arrived, Pistris joined a policeman holding the reins. The policeman’s horse was tied to the back of the “trap”. The two men shook hands and exchanged names. Then, the three traps moved out in single file with 30 Mounted Sheriff Police ahead and behind them. The trip to the Temple of the New Way was very uneventful.

Classic Trap

Upon arriving g at the Temple of the New Way, Patris Martin and the leading Police Officer, Troop Leader Francis McMillian went to the main entrance and knocked. A young Monk answered the door, bowed and politely asked: “May I be of service Sirs>”

”I am Police Officer McMillian. Mr. Martin and I need to speak with Brother Stegg. We can wait here if that will make you more comfortable.”

The young Monk left the door open, left the two visitors standing there and walked quickly to Brother Stegg’s office woth the letter. Moments later, the lad returned with Brother Stegg who said “Please come in gentlemen. Shall we go to my office?”

Both visitors nodded and Brother Stegg murmured “please follow me”.

Brother Luthur Stegg had retired from the Imperial Army at the rank of Colonel before returning to the Temple and assuming the office of Senior Priest. He had never learned the aert of making his requests sound like requests rather than orders. Both his guests were amused by this.

Ibn Brother Stegg’s Office, they were motioned to comfortable seats around a coffee table. Two Monks directed by Stegtgt’s wife enteed and plaed coffee cujp and plates of coffee cake for the six adults. A couple of minutes later, Brother Jonathan and his wife trundled in.

Introductions were made and upon seating, Brother Stegg read the letter again and passed it to his wife, who in turn passed it to Brother Jonathan and his wife.

Police Officer McMillian was busy eating his coffee cake and even slurped his coffee. He fully expected to be asked to leave.

”My wife and I, Brother Jonathan his wife, have been invited to your city for a session of mourning for a group of people near the City of the Fish. Officer MacMillian, do you know who these people are and where they live?”

”Sir, for the record, I know nothing of who these grieving people are and where the live. Off the record, as one of the Sheriff’s most trusted officers, I know who these people are and have a rough idea of where they live. Both sets of information are highly classified and something I am sworn to not reveal.”

”Eat slower, Francis, we were not planning on evicting you. Would you like more coffee cake?”

”Certainly, madam.”

Troop Leader McMillian was handing the letter, which he read and returned.

”What do you think we should do, Mr. McMillian?”

”That is not for me to say, Brother Johathan.”

”Say it anyway.”

”You should attend this meeting and you should console those greieving. Those grieving include all five of you, I do believe. I have grieved for a number of officers and men bothg in the Army and the Police.This is something that you should and must attend. Sir.”

If the one time private, Brother Johnathan was bothered by being called “Sir” it did not show.

McMartin took a second serving of coffee cake and began to eat it slower.

Mr. McMillian, what is your personal history. I am curious about the origion of names?”

”My ancestors were barbarians from a foggy island to the northwest of the northern contenient. They supposedly left behind their savage neighbors to come to the golden civilization of the northern portion of this southern contenient.” He snorted after making this dryt statement.

”Really,” Brother Stegg remarked.

”Yes sir. My family said there were many fine people but also many savage peoples. They did not like someone called the ‘Galic’. Oh the other hand, I have met a number of uncivilized people in some of the major cities and in desert tribes to the southwest. People are people,.”

”Is eve;ryone willing to go tgo the City oif the Fish?”

His wife, and both Brother Jonathan and his wife nodded in agreement.

”May I suggest you leave tomorrow morning on the tide? You can have a pleasant evening, make your preparations, and I can return with my escort after your breakfast. I need to return to the office to finish going through various reports.” He smilled. “”I’m sure you don’t miss the paperwork Colonel?”

”Indeed, I do not.”

Brother Stegg rang a bell to summon his young Monk. Then Officer McMillian stood, bowed to the others and was escorted out of the Monestory.

The boy returned and said “Mr. McMillian left the three traps here and took all his troops.”

”Would you like some coffee cake?”

”Yes, Grandmother,” the boy said to Jonathan’s wife, took the piece of coffee cake offered and ate it standing. Then, Brother Jonathan and his wife took their leave as they were needed to supervise the evening meal preparations. Brother jonathan was told of the three traps and went to care for them personally. To his annoyance, several of his helpers insisted on doing the actual work. Johathan’s wife was pleased…

During the conversation, Patris remarked “the folks who attended the mass weddings are delighted by Brother Jonathan’s pride in wearing his Enlisted Good Conduct Medal. I think everyone considers it a part of Jonathan and would like him to wear it. “

”That would be nice,” Mrs. Stegg commented. “Are you going to the wake

”I’d like to. I was there when Dent and his family were brought into the House of the Fish. We grieved with them and we think of his dead kinfolk as kinfolk of our own gone. None the less, it would be best, I think, if we wait until the major grieving is over.”

The next morning, during they usual mass breakfast in the refractory, several of Brother Jonathan’s assistants prepped the three traps, putting suitcases in and arranging each horse to it’s trap. Driving the three traps around to the front of the Temple, they were treated to the sight of 40 Mounted Policemen parading in front of the Temple before forming up in the front of the Temple.

Troop Leader Francis McMillian dropped his reins to the ground and his very well trained horse simply stood in place. McMillian walked to the front door of the Temple, nodding a greeting to the three trap drivers. The door opened as McMillian mounted the steps and a teen aged Monk opened the front door and waved McMillian in. Troop Leader Francis McMillian was then excorted to the same room he had been in the afternoon before and was offered coffee and coffee cake. He smilled and took both.

He had sat on a very soft chair to enjoy the coffee and coffee cake. To his embarrassment, McMillian dozed off. When he jerked awake, he saidf with ah sdheepish look “I had to review a number of redundant reports last night and early this morning. I could say the Sheriff was overly demanding in having me review these reports save for the fact the Sheriff had to read even more reports and create a summary. The Mayor wanted them for some requests from the Emperor’s staff

”Is it safe for you to seat a horse?”

”I hope so …ah…of course it is, Colonel Stegg!”

They stood and went out to where the traps were. McMillian was stumbling a bit.

His Platoon Sergeant dismounted and walked over to this little group.
”Perhaps you should ride in the trap with Mr. Martin, sir. You could tell him about the threat level and danger spots on the road back to the City. I suspect that Mr. Martin would not mind taking the reins; this would allow you to wave your hands as needed. Sir.”

”Perhaps I should.” Officer McMillian then walked slowly to the trap, which Pitris Martin was already seated in.

The Platoon Sergeant road to the lead trap, in which Brother Stegg and his wife were seated.

”As you know, sir, we look out for the troops. Sometimes, sir, we have to look out for our officers.”

”Well done, Sergeant. I always liked my NCOs to look out for their officers.”

”Thank you, Colonel Stegg!” This proved the good Sergeant knew who he was speaking to.

The Platoon Sergeant got his first section into motion ahead of the traps, motioned the traps to begin their trip, and then got his second section into motion in trail.

The Mounted Police all knew their Commander had worked util perhaps 3 am and after perhaps 2 hours of sleep had lead the platoon south. It was obvious the young offier slept perhaps half the trip back before signaling the unit to halt. He then mounted his horse and rad in the center of the foration, by Brother Jonathan’s trap.

Brother Jonathan had a great deal of respect for any man who could sleep n a seated position as well as this officer did…

The trip to the Secure Quay of the City 5 Harbour was completely uneventful.

Upon arrival, the Police Offier on Guard saluted Pistris Martin before handing him a thick envelop which was wlll sealed.

”The Sheriff requested that you deliver this letter to the Harbour Master of you House of Fish. Be advised, Sir, there is a sealed envelop inside this outer envelop. Please treat this letter as an item of the highest security.” Pistris Martin decided the Police Officer meant “as an item required the highest classification and requiring the greatest guard.”

Pristis Martin opened his sea coat, placed the envelop in a deep inner pocket and asked the Police Officer to button the flap. The Police Officerr did so without comment; the three buttons were hard to work with both hands, let along the single hand Martin really had available.

When this Police Officer told his Sheriff about the letter going into such a secure pocket, the Sheriff’s opinion of Martin’s tradecraft went up greatly.

Brother Stegg handed this Police guard a sincere thank you note, written on Temple LOGOed paper and sealed in a Temple LOGOed envelop and addressed to the Sheriff Willis Meyers Foulston.

* * *

Pistris Martin lead his guests aboard the Courier Boat and waited while the cew got his four guests and him in life preservers. Then, the boat’s second in command briefed them:

”You must have the life vests on when you are on deck; as you can see, all of us are wearing them. We are also going to put a safety line onto each of you. This is not intended to embarrass you; this is to make it easier to drag you back on board should you go into the water. If you are interested, you may watch us get underweigh and observe operations and Mother Ocean. You will have to be in safe spots and this will restrict how much you can see. Your safety is extremely important and we will not allow you to be risked. Any questions?” There were none. “Finally, we’ve been given reports from Harbour Control of 3 to 5 foot seas. This is a bit rocky. You might want to be seated below or in a rack when we’re in open waters. Brother Jonathan and his wife will have safety escorts.”

Brother Jonathan and his wife knew their bones were so fragile that any fall could be crippling. They took comfort in the knowledge they would have safety escorfts.

The Acting Commanding Officer had gone ashore to a small building on the quay and came back several minutes later. He returned to his boat, already wearing his life preserver.

”Well folks, the 3 to 5 foot seas are now being augmented by reported 5 to 8 foot seas closer to the House of the Fish. However, we will be running about 10 miles from the shore and should not need to worry about other boats. I suspect they did not leave the port this morning. I gave the Harbour Master my revised sail plan and we get underweigh at any time.

He paused.

”Second, is every one on board?”

”They are now Skipper.”

”Are all preparations for getting underweigh made?”

”As soon as you and our guests are safety lined.”

The Acting Commanding Officer was attached by safety line to his boat. He then began giving the commands to get underweigh.

From the visitors’ point of view, the brow (gang plank) was taken ashore, the lines thrown overboard and a long boat tied off to the Courier Boat’s bow pulled it away from the quay The long boat pulled the Courier Boat into the center of the Harbour before it was detached and the Courier Boat sails were raised and the Courier Boat began to move into the open sea.

After entering the sea, with waves increasing to around 4 feet, the guests were happy to be carefully handed down into the boat and choose to sit at the table with several off duty sailors. None of the guests had appitites when lunch was declared. The off duty crew ate hard boiled eggs, sipped water and offered this to their guests.

The seas were not severe by the sailor’s standards but certainly were by the Landsmen standards of the two Priests and their wives. Pistris Martin had spent years learning seamanship, navigation, various methods of fishing and had gone on trade and diplomatic trips to the “trading spot”. There were many times when Pistris had served on the Courier Boat working sails and serving as a deck officer. Of late, he had been the Courier Boat’s Command Officer. The sailors were bemused at the sight of Pistris pretending to be a passenger.

The seas calmed down when they entered the outer harbor of the House of the Fish. Pistris went on deck during the docking and clearly was the boat’s actual Commanding Offixcer observing operations.

Pistris Martin had two missions: first, to deliver the invitation and to escort the two Priests and wives to the House of the Fish and second, to evaluate the professional performance of the Acting Commanding Officer.

Forrest Martin met the Acting Commander of the Courier Boat and the actual Commanding Officer.

”Forrest, Glenda Jane did a fine job in commanding my boat. She is ready for her own command.”

”Glenda,” Forrest Martin, the leader of the city stated, “you are hereby appointed Commander of the new Courier Boat, which is still in the boat yards of City 5. I understand you have spent a lot of time observing the Construction?”

”Yes, sir,” she replied.

”I received a letter from the boat yards telling me they expect you for the sea trials. You can work with the various Captains to pick your first crew.”

”Why don’t you get the crew started on securing the boat and I will be along shortly.”

”How did your trip go, Pistris?”

”It went well, sir. I was given a letter for you. The Police Guard who gave it to me said there was a letter to you inside the outer envelope. A letter than think more likely has material for our friends, Martin.”

”Thank you and I will open the outer letter in my office.”

Martin ended up having to help Pistris get his inner pocket unbuttoned. The then took the envelop, put it in the inner pocket of his pea coat and went to his office. He ended up deciding not to open the letter and told his Aunt he had to deliver a letter to the their friends in another city. She understood and told Martin’s wife.

martin had an uneventful ride to Sanctuary and upon aerriving, went ro see Dent.

”Dent, we brought Brother Stegg and Brother Jonathan and their wives to my town today. The two Priests told us their wives needed to recover from their sea voyage; the wives told my Aunt their husbands needed to recover from that same sea voyage. We plant to bring them here tomorrow. The real reason I cam is I got a heavily sealed envelop from Sheriff Foulston. One of the Police Guards said there was an inner envelop.”

Dent carefully examined the outside of the envelop.

”From the wrapping and excessive usage of tape, I suspect who wrote this. But, it is addressed to you.”

Forrest Martin carefully opened the envelop and found a note attached to another heavily sealed envelop. The note said “To be delivered to Dent, son of Mahu and Anouke”. Forrest did not not know this as only “Dent” was written in a language he recognized.

Dent took the envelop and said “my name is written in common and the names of my parents are written in battle language. That is, a battle language specifically created for my family members. The glyph is the symbol meaning ‘All Father‘. The most important Mage in our creation of our genoymns was called the ‘All Father‘. He created different gene combinations in hopes of getting good outcomes. There were others who eliminated ‘weak gene stock’ by destroying a fetus or byn taking a fetus which was born and putting it in a controlled environment. This was said to be ‘for observations’.” Dent’s voice had become remarkably bitter. Others met ‘accidental deaths’. I personally think they were killed when there was nothing further to be learned from them. The one called ‘All Father‘ engaged in subtle and hidden wars with the killers. Some of the killers had to flee as did the ‘All Father‘ eventually. I don’t know that I am ready to read what he wrote.”

”Who is your next Eldest? Ten?”

”Then perhaps you should have Ten read it?”

Ten, the still newly wed, was busy settling a conflict between two of his wives and was looking harried. When Forrest invited Ten in to read the letter, the two young women followed.

Dent took a deep breath and looked unsettled. This was unsettling to everyone, including Forrest. Dent’s family had seen him go up ag;ainst the Grandfahter several times and had even held his own in conversation with the Emperor. Dent had not looked unsettled those times and did now.

”Do all of you remember the one we called the ‘All Father‘?”

From the reactions, it was clear all did.

”We were sent a letter from the Sheriff of City 5, Willis Meyers Foulston. Whether he wrote this letter or not I don’t know as I have not opened the envelope. Perhaps Sheriff Foulston was asked by the ‘All Father‘ to forward this letter. Perhaps they are the same person. Does anyone know if Brother Luthur Stegg reported the Sheriff’s appearance?”

”No, not that I have heard,” re[lied Ten.

”Please examine this envelope and give me your reactions.”

Ten and both his brides studied the envelope and Ten admitted “it could be his writing.”

”It could be but none of us have read his hand writing for a long time.”

”It does look like the hand writing on our box of personal pills,” Dent’s clan’s woman Ahose allowed.

”Does anyone want to open this envelope?”

No one replied.

”If I may,” Forrest began, “you are planning on reading personal statements. I strongly suspect this is a personal statement just as much as anything you will read. Remember, your statements are going to be what you currently feel comfortable reading. Having children will change how you feel. Growing older and growing into your marriages will also change you in ways you do not know and will change what you think and feel. Finally, getting older will change what you give a damn about. I suggest you open the letter in front of everyone, read it, and decide if you feel like reading it out loud, Dent. You have 24 others who can read this letter just as well.”

Rowena and Thunder on the Craig were sent for and both briefed on the envelop. Both agreed that everyone in Dent’s family had to decide on how to deal with the envelope.

One of Rowena’s younger sons wondered in and she told him “please ask all the smelly ones to come here”.

It was perpetually amuising to Dent’s people that the Elven children called them ‘the smelly ones’ and the Half-Orc children called them ‘the strange cousins’ (for the smell of Dent’s people was similar to that of Orcs).

As each of Dent’s people arrived, the subdued atmosphere immediately imposed itself. Rowena took charge as soon as all 24 of Dent’s family where there.

”You received a response to Dent’s letter (verify this). Please read the outside of this envelope and give me your reaction.

Most said nothing, one said “this could be from the ‘All Father‘ (the word was spoken in the Assassin’s cant) b uyt most said nothing.

”Has everyone written statements or stories or simply written nothing?”

”Everyone has written something meaningful to them,” Ten said.

”Everyone has let me read their stories,” Dent said. “They were all very moving.”

”Forrest Martin, his wife, Brother Stegg, Brother Jonathan and their wives will be present at the readings. Brother Luthur Stegg is an ordained Priest. Brother Jonathan was ordained some 30 years ago although he likes to call himself ‘a simple grounds keeper’.”

”He is charming,” KG said.

”I’ve been warned that he will be wearing his old dress uniform blouse with his Good Conduct Medal. Don’t remind him that he deserted from that Boy Army and was pardoned by the Emperor.”

”We know that,” Justine reminded him.

”Just saying and his wife has asked me to tell you. That was a verbal pass down from Pistris Martin to Forrest Martin to me.”

”Shall we open the letter now?”

No one raised a hand.

”Shall I open this letter at our mass meeting and read it to the entire audience?”

The response to Dent’s question was everyone in the room raised their hands. Thunder on the Craig and Rowena were considered family members and their hand raising was fully acceptable. (In the distant Central City, Dent’s wife had the premenation that something important had happened but she could not think of what. She shook her head and went to talk with friends.)

”On that note, I could use a drink,” Forrest Martin stated. “I could also use something for dinner as I simply came here without dining.”

”Let’s get you that drink and dinner at my place. My daughters will be happy to cook something and I know my son-in-law hs been stocking imported wine and beer from the savages north of the great sea.

They had a lovely drinking party – the ladies were allowed one small glass of wine each and the men tried to deplete the excess – and snacks– the ladies ate more than the men.

Regardless, no one, not even Dent wanted to work out the next morning and they just sat that one out.

* * *

After breakfast, Dent gathered his people together and said “since we are going to read our stories, do we want to read them in private or in public with all our new family?”

”It would be very painful to read there stories in public.”

”We wouldn’t really be in public,” Ten rebutted. “The Half-Orcs and Elven wee geneticallyh modified much as we were and they have stories of pain to tell. Forrest Martin’s people are half breed human and Denovian and the forced creation of their kind had it[‘s own horrors. It ight be the time for speaking of ancient and not so ancient pain has come. It could bring us closer to our new family and remove old barriers.”

”Does anyone else want to speak?” Dent waited a couple of minutes before saying “close eyes and raise you left hand if you want us to speak in public. All must vote in favour for us to speak”.

After verifying that everyone in his family had raised their left hands (including Dent), Dent said softly “keep your hands up and open your eyes. Tell me if you see anyone with a hand up.”]

There was dead silence.

Dent spoke again: “Would anyone like to issue the invitations at the clans meerting?” There was no response. “Then, as Elder I will speak. We have a meeting to attend”.

””and so we march”, KG said thinking of her marriage ceremony. She saw Dent suddenly break into a gentle smile and she knew he had heard her all those weeks before.

Without discussion, the Clan of Dent fell into marching order, four across and six deep with Dent standing in the Leader’s position on the front left. They marched in perfect unison keeping step by listening to the sounds of Dent’s footsteps.

In the distance, Thunder on the Craig spoke softly to Rowena: “When they come together as a clan, they march as a platoon. I wonder what surprises they have for us?”

Everyone had noticed the rock spires standing tall in the west of their city. Literally, for centuries people had talked about making rooms in the spires. Some wanted observations rooms but others said the External Guard protected them. Besides, lookout rooms in the spires would be too visible.

Others thought housing would be nice. There was the dream of many: a high rise apartment from which to overlook everyone else. Well, in the interest of security, most people did not go about in public, well not in the day. Then there were the problems constructing rooms, dealing with sewage, waste water, heating, cooking and the arrogance of being able to look over their neighbors.

The Half-Orcs had houses away from the “city center” and closer to the mines. But Sanctuary really did not have a “city center”. It was closer to a couple of small business building, warehouses and various styles of housing. It was a town without a real “city center”.

Perhaps it was time to rethink their city?

Given the fears everyone faced, the time was finally right to deal with the spires

”This meeting of the ruling Elders of Sanctuary is called to order. I am Thunder on the Craig! Do I hear a request for the reading of the agenda?

A young Half-Orc proudly bellowed “read it, Glorious Elder!”

Thunder on the Craig knew he could trust this grandson to come through for him.

”Very well. First item is ‘should plans be made to create plans for rooms, windows and stairs in one of the spires. This is to prove the idea is worth tryijng.”

Thunder knew better than to say “proof of concept” to folks like his grandson. The grandson was sudden death to a rock face and would have eaten his way through the rock spire. But he was no genus.

”There are a number of problems with this. I would like working groups to decide what the problems are and figure ways to solve them. Can I get comment?”

”One of the Elven women remarked “We have been talking about this for generations. Perhaps our new cousins can come up with different ideas?”

James, one of Dent’s brothers stood and waited until he was recognized.

”We were raised in apartments within a building that supposedly did not have apartments. Our homer was in a building allegedly meant as the offices of two different agencies and was mainly meant as a warehouse. Thus, water had to be taken from several different sources and piped in. Sewage had to be let down gently into a seqage holding tank and then pushed into the greater sewage processing system. Perhaps the best answer is ‘what are we doing now’?”

”We use chamber pots and empty them into honey bucket, which are pulled by mules well out into the desert sands. There, some of the lads move sand with their stone moving spells, move the sewage into the little valley and move sand back over the sewage. The first hole is very deep and each filing makes it less deep. Finally, we cover the top of the sewage with sand and grass seed it. Eventually, the feces turn into material from which grasses can grow. The hardest problem is getting water to the grass seed as ther simply are no springs near the seqage areas.”

”That could stop spires as apartments. We will have to think about this! Perhaps working groups of people from the four cultures could come up with better ideas?”

”Four cultures,” Thunder asked.

”The Half-Or, Elven, our culture and the people fro the House of the Fish, Elder Thunder.”

”Is the any further business, perhaps some new business, for this body to consider?”

””Brother James, of the House of Dent, would you like to say anything?” Thunder on the Craig could purr in a gentle but threatening voice.

”I believe my Elder, Dent, would like to speak.”

”My Brother James is quite correct. Earlier this week, I found myself in a fugue and began writing stories of my past. Some of these stories are fun, most of simply history and some are still very painful. We all have stories and we would like to share them with anyone willing to listen.

”Elder Dent, what is your worst story?” Dent looked at the Half-Orc who had asked that question and realized he deserved a candid answer.

”I was the only son of Mahu and my Mother Anouke. I was also their third born child.”

”What happened to your sisters, Elder Dent?” This question was asked by the same Half-Orc boy but in a quieter and more respectful tone.,

”My eldest sister was severely deformed and was sent to an assilym; I’m told she did not live long enough to learn to walk. My next elder sister was even more severely unfit to live and was born without multiple genetic diseases. She was not allowed to leave the Intensive Care Unit., I was the surprise. They say I was born perfet and met the designer’s goals. The ‘All Father‘, the Mage who was finally able to take over the design team and correct their errors and to produce healthy genetically modified children, was intensely relieved. I know this as we have received a letter from him. The problem being we don’t know where the ‘All Father‘ is. He could have easily had someone else deliver his letter.”

Dent paused, breathing slightly harder in the absolute silence.

”I do know we must go on with our lives. We must create intelligence collection methods and intelligence analyses methods. We can do this for we are a community.” Dent’s tone became lighter. “We are also going to tell stories tonight. One of my sisters was nervous about talking in public. I tell her she won’t be talking in public. She will be talking to her family, her extended clan, her belching, farting extended family.”

There was no farting with the Elders present but plenty of farting and fart jokes happened once the crowd was away from the Elders. The introduction to Dent’s story was new to his family and they wondered what else he had not told them. He would be asked that question for months to come.

* * *

The out of town guests arrived the next morning. Brother Stegg and his wife were the first to arrive. Brother Luther Stegg was a friendly extrovert and popular with most people. As a retired Colonel, he had certain traits that made him popular with most of the Half-Orcs. His wife was a gentle woman and quite popular with the woman and children. However, having lived with warriors much of her life, she knew how to be on good terms with everyone.

Some of the body guards had arrived in town earlier than Brother Jonathan and his wife. The story he told was one that had Brother Stegg and his wife rolling their eyes and laughing.

”What is so funny, Mother Eily,” KG asked Brother Stegg’s wife.

”When we left the Fishy House, Brother Jonathan was seated upright on the seat of his trap and insisted ‘I am fully awaker and can reasily drive the 20 miles to this hidden city. His trapn was moving somewhat sporadically across the road as the horse was deciding the course. One of the outriders pill;ed up alongside and it was obovious the good brother was nodding off. The rider pointed at Jonathan’s wife and made a holding the reins gesture. The trap slowed to a halt and we went around. I fear they had to wake the old gentleman.”
This lead to a great deal of laughter.

This outrider came into the town shortly afterwards. He was surprised by the applause.

”Perhaps you can tell us something we’re curious about? Did Brother Jonathan fall asleep?”

”If I didn’t know better,” the rider cleared his throat, “I would think he had dosed off and the horse was wondering at will. However, the good Brother, ah, became fully aware of where he was and left the land of meditation briefly. He looked at his wife and said ‘I find I need to meditate. Would you take the reins, my dear?”

”Of course, love, return to your meditations.” She took the reins and they resumed their trip. Brother Jonathan sat in a meditative stance for several minutes before relaxing, ah, relaxing into a more comfortable position. If it sounded like he was snoring, well, then his wife, me and the nearest eight riders were completely wrong.” He chuckled.

When Brother Jonathan and his wife arrived in town and were lead to this destination, Brother Jonathan was looking like a man who was waking up. Both were surprised when they got friendly applause.

Dent went to the trap and gave Jonathan’s wife a hand down. She was graceful in accepting this. Dent then gave Brother Jonathan a hand down. He was shaky and one of the horsemen was immediately behind Jonathan ready to catch him when, not if, but when the Old Gentleman fell. They were lucky, he did not fall.

’How was your trip?”

”Peaceful,” she replied.

”And his meditations?”

”Spiritually exemplary, I’m sure”, she replied.

”Brother Jonathan, how did the meditationis go?”

”One does not discuss meditations, Dent!”

Brother Jonathan apparently did not remember that Dent was a preacher himself and Dent did discuss meditations.

”Now that everyone is here, I know the cooks are ready to serve lunch!” Let the visitors and then the Elders led the way to the feast!”

This group lead the way onto the floor of the “Temporary Temple”, a structure meant to be use fort only a handful of month but which was used for more than a handful of centuries. The meal was a buffet simply because they lacked the people to handle a plated meal. Besides, diners were inclined to pick courses based on their experience and their past experiences rather than what folks expected them to take. Perhaps they didn’t remember a conversation from an ancient story:

[1]Londo Mollari: "Vir, we are not biologically equipped to handle fast food."

Vir Cotto: "I know. I know. But it tastes so great going down. Coming up again, it's not so terrific, but-"

The afternoon rolled slowly past and some of Dent’s people became more nervous. Dent sent word around for everyone to speak with family and close friends outside of family and to mention what they were planning on discussing. If they did not want to rehearsh, then they could at least make some notes and be ready.

After that, the three eldest, Dent, Ten and Janiene went to all their brothers and sisters and discussed what they had planned on saying. There were a number of times when the three told their younger brothers and sisters what to say and wrote clear notes for them. Some of the speeches were actually brilliant.

Before dinner, Thunder on the Craig and Rowena gathered everyone in attendance – the entire population of Sanctuary – gathered on the floor of the “TemporARY Temple”. There, they were handed glasses of wine or lager according to each one’s tastes. The children above the age of ten were offered diluted white wine or fruit juice. Oddly, only a ferw took the iluted white wine but came back for fruit juices.

Rowena went to the Preacher’s Podium and rapped the gavel. By this time, nearly everyone had found seats and were relaxed and waiting events. In the background, Dent was relaxed, centered and ready to come on stage. He was an old preacher and fully ready to speak. Some of the others were not so sangrine. The other members of Dent’s brothers and sisters sat in the front row.

”Once, there was a Temple of the Way established in the House of Assassins in the Central City. I know this sounds odd but then the Assassins Guild is generally guite different than what most expect it to be. The Guild was born out of the needf for assassins to become organized and to be under an established command structure. This occurred. As the years went by, they realized survival dictated knowing what their enemies and potential enemies were planning. This lead to the House Intelligence Agencyu ort as it was sdoetimes known, the Hosue Intelligence Core.”

”The House was a place where hard decisions were made and where politically tgouchgty decision and projedts could be done. Thus, when ther Emperor was adfvised tht it would be a good idfe4a to developer genetically modfified peoples, ther execution wasd delegated to Mages, Alchemists, Priests and physists willing to do certain labors. There were suvch Scierne workers who never realized they were working in and for the Grandfather of Assassins. They enjoyed their labour and when retired, they were convinced to retire in smaller cities or towns away fro the House. A number of them were follectd by the Subline Nation and ended up in a research town south of City Three. These are not part of the People of the Valley but live in the revived dead city, a revived ghost town, east of the People of the Valley. They receive support from the People of the Valley. There are carrivans which leave City Four and City Three taking supplies to them.

”Back to the Temple in the Assassins House before the time of Dent’s birth. There were a number of workers involved in this projeft who had great ideas but who failed in their execution. Some simply did not consider the ‘Law of Unexpected Consequences’ and attempted hanges that resulted in server daage to the fetus created. Suppose they created genetic change4s intended to improve liver function that resulted in faulty pancrets, which resulted in fetus created with lethal amounts of blood sugar. This lead to changes in the pancreitis to prevent this diabetics but which could cause serious changes to other body funcions. Finally, one of the Mages, who would someday be given the title of ‘All Father’, took command and required Mages to analyse and predict the consequences of their actions. Some thing at least one of the Gods was involved in correcting the errors and in making actual improvements. We don’t iknow these answers but we know the results were fine. We know that 30 males babies and 30 female babies were created in the Temple within the Hosue of Assassins. We believe that as many as four other groups of 60s were created and sent elsewhere. We can conjecture what became of them. All of this conjecture is subject to the correction of actual facts. Now, having said that, I invite Dent, whose Father is Mahu and whose Mother is Anouke to speak.

Dent walked to the podium and Rowena hugged him. She patted him on the back and Dent turned to the Podum.

”I have been a Preacher for years, although most probably don’t realize that. I have asked Rowena to stand with me for moral courage.” This shocked many who knew of Dent’s shere physical courage. “My name is Dent and Rowena has already told you the names of y parents. What most of you do not know is that I was not their first child. I was told of two older sisters. My eldest sister was severely deformed and was sent to an aylum ; I’m told she did not live long enough to learn to walk. My next elder sister was even more ‘severely unfit to live and was born with multiple genetic diseases’. Such was the working of the Pediatric ICU Doctor who made her existence more gentle. This sister did not live long enough to leave the Intensive Care Unit., I was the surprise. They say I was born perfect and met the designer’s goals. The ‘All Father‘, the Mage who was finally able to take over the design team and correct their errors and to produce healthy genetically modified children, was intensely relieved. I know this as we have received a letter from him. The problem being we don’t know where the ‘All Father‘ is. He could have easily had someone else deliver his letter.

”The next ‘perfect child’ born was Loraine. She was perhaps six months younger than me. Three years later, Leonard William was born. You will not hear this name outside my speech as Leonard William has Ten reasons to refuse to go by it.”

Ten shook his fist at Dent and growled. This was the funniest moment of the entire day.

”To continue, as more infants were born and as Loraine Ten and I were able to do so, we began helping care for them. I learned that some infants can have the sweetest faces and make smells that would sent even Orc and Guard Dogs from a room. I’m not going to name names but

Dent began leaning forward and squinting at his family members one after another. KG looked embarrassed and another sister looked very embarrassed.

”Now, Dent, that note from the ‘All Father‘ noted that all of you were unusually smelly children.”

”So he did…”

”Your people can’t possibly exceed the smell of Orc babies!” Thunder on the Craig was quite loud and proud.

”All of this is quite true. There was experimentation on mood control and Loraine and I went from being kids who grew up together to kids who were, ah, destined to become a married couple. We were taught languages, science , magic, such as it is, the faith of our ancestors, the arts of the assassin, military skills, combat arts, the skills of a Monk of our particular school and a number of other arts. Our problem is we were theoretical rather than practical people. We were lucky to run into folks who helped us along the way. The letter from the ‘All Father‘ is simply too painful for me to read. The ‘All Father‘ was, I suppose, our primary designer. He was certainly the one whose genus allowed my brothers and sisters to be born fairly healthy. He told us there were defects which could be corrected by taking our daily pills. We stopped using the pills perhaps a week before we ran out. These pills corrected the genetic defects on the genetic code level. I image they would have horrified the folks we gav e the pills to. I’ve heard the People of the Sublime Nation got the pills and were especially horrified by the genetic level modifications. These modifications work on the reproductive organ so my sisters have been producing safe eggs and my brothers, and me!, have been producing safe sperm.

There was a deep silence.

”That is the reason we are no longer ‘human’. We look ‘human’ but we can not reproduce with ‘humans’. The fetuses my sisters are carrying will have sealed these changes into their beings. The second and third generations will remove the impact of my four brothers and the reproductive future s of their offspring will be determined by family histories. The future children will be gilded into prearranged marriages. What the hell, it worked for me.”

”You probably should not have mentioned that, Dent,” said Ten.

”It does not matter, my Brother. The attractions each will feel for their intended will be as inievatable was the Lw of Gravity dragging rocks down. Our offspring need not have the existential worries that humans have. By the way, in spite of the appearance of each of the different quote racers unquote in this room, we are all humans. Some are juist different mixtures of older human variants.”

The next speaker was Ten.

”Much of what Dent said was not emphasized much to me. I did learn it simply by listening to Dent and Loraine. Now, Dent did not mention that he was being groomed for several different jobs including Senior Agent Handler and Head of the Intelligence Analyst Division. He would have been a very good choice. On the other hand, I believe that I would have been a fine agent as I listen very well and remember what I hear. I also put what I hear in context with other written and spoken material and in anticipation of future events. I would have been a fine Agent Controller myself. Back in the House, I was dating one of my fellow quote People of Dent unquote. Perhaps I should have said “People of the ‘All Father’. She and I are married to her and four other members. Why be coy? I am married to five of y sisters. Yet, we always knew we would be so married. The spepure of ‘speciation” has always been over our heads. We will be only generation of the ‘Five and One’. I suggest we take histories of our existence. I also thijnk we should create ‘Time Safes’. These can br condgtructed of our memories, the memories of other concerning us and others and the mermoreis of everyone in Sanctuary and House of the Fish and People of the New Way Temple and even People of the Valley. This is a little too personal and a little too quick for men to have much more to say. I am more comfortable meditating and then writing of events.

As other members of the “People of the ‘All Father’ spoke, the Elders who were there to provide Moral Courage rotated. Thus, Forrest Martin and his wife, Thunder on the Craig and his wife, Brother Luther Stagg and his wife and Brother Jonathan and his wife stood this duty. Folks were very impressed by the sight of Brother Jonathan in full Priest garb (and without his beloved Good Conduct Medal.)

When KG spoke, she was very emotional.

”I an not really ad much to our creation story. One thing sticks off strongly. I was fond of emotional outbursts when I was very young. I was perhaps 5 or maybe 6 when I decided I would express my emotions in a manner superior to speaking. Those of you who know was my name stands for can guess what I did. It does not stand for Karren Gloria or Kathie Gertrude. It stands for ‘Kicking Girl’. This is a nickname I received from one of my older minders. I remember kicking at him, falling and being caught by him and brought back upright. There were days when my ‘righteous rage’ got too much for me and I would kick at my parents. What surprises me today is how I was able to land kicks on my parents. My Father taught defensive closer quarter combat and is nearly impossible to land blows on. My Mother is master of an art that turns a blow or kick into a self inflicted wound upon the attacker. Thus, they should have been untouchable but some days they let me strike. Then, there was Dent who let me get kicks in on occasion. He had the remarkable ability of deflecting attacks so that I did not fall over. I later decided he was the best older brother a girl could have. I later changed ‘Kicking Girl’ to ‘KG’ because he started calling me that. It also helped that Ten had taken a different name and that made it more cool for me to change my name.

”Who is ‘he’”, her moral support Jonathan asked?”

” Dent.”:

”Of course,” Brother Jonathan murmured.

”When the 25 speeches were done and Dent had read the ‘All Father speech, Thunder on the Craigs marched up to the podum along with his wife.

”There are things we need to add. All what we are about to say is known to all. Still these words need to be spoken. The ancestors of the Half-Orcs of our beloved Sanctuary were taken from their people and brought here. Many of them died in the mined or where maimed in the mines. The Mages of the kidnappers made changes to our ancestor’s genetics. They did not know they were doing but over the centuries they learned and found ways to make what they called beneficual changes. We showed our appreciation when we joined with the Elves in rebellion!”

”Rowena and none of the other Elves wished to speak and I was asked to speak for them. The story of the Elves is much the same as the story of the Half-Orcs. This story was tht of Elvews stolen fro their people and brought here. Thjey were then subject to quote beneficial genetic modifications unquote. They joined with our people in rebellion and together we fought against the oppressors!”

”Thunder and his wife nodded towards Rowena and they went to the left side of the stage and joined the two Priests, their wifes and Dent. Rowena went to the podum.
”Thank you for those excellent and moving words,” Rowena said. “Now, I call upon Forrest Martin and his wife to come to the podium.

Forrest Martin spoke: ”Almost a thousand years ago, a group of ‘humans’ living in a very large and very humid plain got tired of being subject to very hot summer and horrible moonstones. Moonsones are rain storms that arrive, dump huge amounts of rain and this pattern repeats until a dry season arrives and it becomes hot and humid. They moved north across high passes and ended up in an area of cold high elevations. There they met a people now called the ‘Denisovans’. For various reasons, the two type of humans mated and produced a new variety of humans. This took generations. Many years later, with the proof of concept done, kidnappers invaded this land. They selected people with high intelligence, physical strength and general good health. They also kidnapped some of the remaining pure Denisovans and pure humans. Both groups had to be of high intelligence, good physical strength and good general health. They were force to mate and their offspring merged with those who were already hybrids.”

Forrest Martin nodded to his wife, who took the podium: ”Why they did this is something they did not bother to tell us. We don’t’ see any real advantage to such a merging.

”How did you get free?” Dent spoke.

”Our ancestors abruptly rebelled and killed those who played games with us. We were already in contact with the two peoples in Sanctuary and when their surviving ‘masters’ fled north to take our boats, we ambused them. We killed a number of them and were holding off the rest when the two peoples of Sanctuary arrived and finished them off. Anyway, that is the defining myth of our people and it agrees with elements of the defining stories of Sanctuary. We believe them to be true.”

Then, something the Elders had hoped would happen, the Eldest of their newest group, the Hobbits walked to the edge of the platform the speakers were seated on. Brother Jonathan, who had been adopted as a Grandfather of the Hobbits, quickly walked to the Eldest of the Hoibbits. They spoker urgently.

Brother Jonathan and the Eldest walked to the podium. There, Forrest and his wife backed away from the podium and Brother Jonathan stood next to the somewhat smaller Hobbitt.

”Most of you know the leader of the latest group to join our community. This is the Eldest, Ferdibranfd of the Cloverdale Hobbitts. Ferdibrand, the floor is yours!

”Thank you, Grandfather Jonathan. We share much with you. Generations ago, we were peaceful Hobbits living in the Cloverdale Valley of the Rhone Valley. This is located in Gaul, which is a land in the northern Land mass. As is sometimes feared, this truly is a violent land filled with violent people who are often terrorized from rading parties from still further to the North. These are called the ‘People of the Northland’. One of the clans in Gaul offered to take us to a safer land well to the south. We lived there for about two years. Then we were raided.

He paused.

”We were raided by seekers who wanted unusual people. They had people from a group called ‘The Very Highlanders’. These were a people, with gigantic lungs and by their testimony, incredible adaption to very low pressure. In the low lands of the Northern Sea, they suffered greatly from too much air. We pitied then and helped them escape. We later learned they had gone to the hghet peaks of a great mountain range and were complaining of the pressure being still too hjigh. Sadly, we had brought unfortunate attention to ourselves.

He sighed.

”Then, one of the apparent leaders of the group that came to ask why we had helped this people.”
”They told our translater they were drowning in thick and hot air. So, we felt sorry for them and sent them to safety.”

”The apparent boss’ assistant said ‘if we can’t send high altitude creatures, we can send on little people. We are not little people We were put into a ship with rows of canvas shelves five high – they called them ‘rack’ -and running the length of the room on both sides. There were 382 of us crammed onto these ‘racks’. A number chose to sleep on the floor. I don’t know why but the crew of this ship insisted on keeping the floor very clean. We were in this room for several weeks before we arrived at place far to the east called ‘Leba’ or was it ‘Lebo’? Then they did experimentation on us. I was evaluated as they called it and endured a number of painful quote procedures unquote. I survived with change Sadly there were only 82 of us when the experimentatons were done. My wife was among the survivers. asked them why?

It was dead silent in the room.

”They said ‘one group modified some Half-Orc and Elves but we lost track of them. We think they went south along the Great River south of Central City. For some reason law enforcement and especially the King of the Assassins Clan was looking to kill us all.”

”Why would they want to kill you?”

”We had gotten into a group of experienters working on humans in the personal home of the Assassin King. Then someone allegedly in the Emperor’s inner court sent killers to terminate our test results. We thought it wise to leave and did so. But, we got bored and we also thought we could help ourselves by demonstrating we were still useful. We decided to see what we could do with those high altitude things. Well, there is nothing we could do thanks to you! This apparent leader of the group grunted a two symbol word that supposed means ‘sacred blue’ in some strange language.”
”Sacre bleu”, Dent murmured.

””Sacfre blue”, Rowena asked?

”It is a French curse meaning ‘sacred blue’. I don’t understand why they use it.”

”Your sister KG told ne it has something to do with the menstruation of their God’s Mother.”
”I will have to speak with my KG.”

Rowena knew Dent thought of KG as someone between a little sister and a daughter. Now, he was regarding her as an adult who was pregnant and needed his support. He was worried about all 24 of his people. She knew that before long he would be worried about three Half-Orc women and 1 Elven woman who had become pregnant about the time of the Great Wedding.

She also knew she would have to help him get through these pregnancies along with the uniknown more to come. Come to think of it, she thought, he is going to help me get through them as wsell. * * * * *

Moments after leaving their gathering, Dent began to reap what he had sown. An elderly Half-Orc grandmother hugged him firmly and softly said "you poor dear!" Then walked off. Another Half-Orc grandmother patted him on the back and an Elven grandfather hugged him and kissed him on the forehead.

Dent was shocked.

Rowena walked up to him and said "Those people had babies who died very young and really haven't gotten over the pain. You are going to be hearing more of these stories."

"What stories will I hear from you? "

He had meant "what stories have you been told"? Instead she replied "I've never told you about my family, have I? My second child died very young."

When Dent hugged her, in the very open room in the Temple, those watching may have thought she was comforting him and that too was true.

Later that night, Dent was I invited to a weekly grief counseling session.

He and Rowena went and found it helpful.

The next morning A pattern had been created. When Dent was not otherwise busy, he was finding himself counseling others. He was turning into a Preacher for Sanctuary, something he had not expected.

* * *

A couple of weeks afterwards, his brother James asked him "what are these meetings I have heard you attend?"

"They are grief counseling for those who lost children. Came it, it just occurred to me that you were very closest to our youngest brother. Why don't you come? "

"I think I will. "

James and his five wives came. They were welcomed for they had grief a plenty. They were respectful and were accepted. The next week all of Dent's folks attended and were fully accepted as were the Hobbits when they learnt of the meetings.

* * *

The day after their big story telling night found the Hamlet of Sanctuary in a turmoil. No one felt like working save for the regular cooks and kitchen help who knew they were too badly needed. The miners knew they had a surplus and could afford a day off. The crops were well weeded and could easily be given a day's rest from attention. Besides, there was Brother Jonathan.

The good Brother had come to the conclusion the community needed a "fun day".

Dent and Rowena Were visiting before lunch when they realized Brother Jonathan had arranged races for the children. Some of these were "go fast races" and others were "look like you are racing while going very slow". This was a toss-up between the Half-Orcs miners who could barely move inside the mines and the Hobbits who simply has never been allowed to run before coming to Sanctuary.

In the early afternoon, after lunch, it began to cloud up. People watched, and some children started laughing. Finally, one Elven asked "what is so funny?"

"He thinks those look like kitties! "

"They do not, " another child said. "They look like bunny rabbits!"

"Skunks said one Half-Orc boy who liked to say everything reminded him of skunks. "

One rabbit turned into a gigantic and monstrous Hate with streaks of lightning.

"Brother Luther Stegg turned into Colonel Stegg and successfully badgered everyone into the Temporary Temple. There, he turned back into jovial and gentle Brother Stegg.

Brother Jonathan and his wife lead the children and a number of adults in the delicate and manly art of taking naps.

"They look so peaceful", KG said.

"Don't you dare disturb them", James replied.

"I was about to say I am going to join them. " Then she did.

"How did you get her to nap", Dent wanted to know? "I never could."

"I just can, " James replied smugly before taking a nap himself.

"He has so much to learn about pregnant women and children and himself", Rowena whispered to Dent.

"Yes, he does. "

When the rain ended, the children came out and splashed in the puddles.

"Why are they doing this? " James was horrified and curious. Dent, who had been raised in the same House as James had the same appealed reaction at seeing this. The irony was both had crawled through mud puddles in their infantry training.

"Have you ever considered how rain falls in different amounts? "

"Yes, " Dent replied.

"I wonder if this could be useful to someone", Rowena mused.

"Farmers would like to know wet their land was. They would have a better idea of what to plant. Dry soil would just lead to wasted seeds. I wonder if knowing how an enemy's crops are likely to be could be used against them?

"We know rain goes into the soil, back in the air, into ponds and streams.

"It would be interesting if not useful to know the water status of everyone. We don't know who friends in the outside world could be, Rowena. We certainly don't know who potential enemies are.

"Do you really think the outside world is that dangerous Dent? "

"Yes, I do. Most of the outside world would have no knowledge of us and would not care if they did know of us. My fears are the few who are threats could have the power to harm us. We're all unique here in Sanctuary and the House of the Fish and in Valley of the People of the Valley. "

"Even the People of the Valley? "

"They need essential nutrients from mushrooms on the poison list in the House! "

"Good point", she agreed.

After a couple of minutes, Dent suggested “why don’t we walk over to the corals. Some of the foals may be pregnant?”
Rowena knew none were but said “certainly”.

At the Mule corals, she said “logic tells me Mules do not become pregnant.”

”True and maybe I should have wandered to the Horse coral. However, the Mule Coral is further from listening ears. I have not mentioned that a small note addressed to me was in the huge letter that I read. I don’t know if James remembers but he had an identical twin brother. I was the only one of my kinfolk who baby sat both. Call our James James 1 and the other twin James 2. Both were fine babies and that is just the opinion of a one-time 8 year old. Adfter wathing him or several weeks, the other boy disa[ppeared and I was told he had one to hospital. Then, I ws asked to stop speaking of this boy, James 2, because it was too painful to hear of him. So, I never spoke of him again. In the past several yuears, James has mentioned wondering what happened to a baby he thinks he remembers from the crib. I ws still under orders to say nothing.”

”Then, why are we so far from ears and talking about this now?”

”That little noter thanks me for doing suich a loving job of caring for him and his brother James. He said he would continue watching over us because we were his family.”

”You don’t want to let your family iknow that one of them was still alive?”

”Part5 of the reason is James 2 is, or must be, a high ranking member of a protetive organization, possiblyu even the Imperial Intelliogence Agency or the Hosuie of Assassins Intelligence Agency. There coujldf be another sdet of 60 of us out there some place. I have the feeling theyh could be in the HNouse of the Way in the Central City,. I say this because I had a good idea of the amount of space in the Temple and how much of it could be accounted for from the space I was allowed to see when visiting. “

”To play the part of the Dark Angel’s Hand Maiden there could have been storage areas yuoui ojld not see or other folking living in the Templ;e. Perhaps they had empty rooms set aside for future usage.”

”That is possible. It was just I kept getting the feeling I was being watched and that Temple people were simply more edgy around me than most of the people I was with. This included my kinfolk. Whast if there is more trhan one group of my blood type in deep cover hiding?”

”Tell me the rest!~”

”The note addressed to me was written with a style that showed certainly the note would reach me. The final touch was it was signed ‘James Four’. This suggests that James was one of a set of quads.”

”Interesting, very interesting, my dear. Your brothers and sisters have been trained in assassin, military and Monk combat tactics. You, Ten and perhaps the elder ten of you have strategy training and experience. This is the kind of experience James two could have been getting over the decades.

”If I were to guess the most dangerous position for James the Fourth to be, I would Father of assassins in City Five ort possibly City Four. The letter came back very quickly so it had been in preparation for some time. The little note to me was quicklyn written and thus it had to have been written in City 5. There simply was not enough time for even a fast courier boat to go to and back from City four.
”This is very logical. People are coming towards us so we should maintain cover by going to the Horse Coral and talking about breeding Mules.”

”It would be nice if we could breed some large and strong Mules. Peerhaps some quadruptles?”

She laughed and he laughed and the folks in the distance wondered what was funny about Mules?

The horses were a fine herd, with some outstanding stallions. As the others approached they heard.

”I was not raised to know how good critters are but some of the stallions loojk liker they could make fine studs to mate with donkeys. The only problem is them.”

”We could use Donkeys in Sanctuary to produce Mules but we can not let it be known we’re looking for donkeys. We need to get donkeys through the Fish or perhaps those from the Sublime Nation?””

”The Sublime Nation needs to travel light. Folks would wonder about them having donekys.”

”The Sublime Nations does not travel light as you know, Dent. What about the People of the Fish trading for donkey from the ‘savage monsters’ in the land north of the Big Pond?”

”Big Pond?”

”An old name for the Sea north of us. Why not see if Forrest can get some coinage together and send buyers to the flesh market in City Five>?”

A throat cleared behind them. They had been wondering when those closing in on them would speak.

”Why not have Brother Jonathan send some of his prize donkeys to the House of the Fish and they can wonder off…down to here?”

”An excellent idea Mrs. Stegg,” Rowena answered.

* * *+

After walking for several minutes, Dent decided to speak. Rowena had been waiting for him to finally say what was on his mind.

”We need to speak to all the Elderrs about a coming problem. It would be best to solve it now.”

Then he quickly explained.

They send the first available child to collect Forrest Martin and wife, B rothers Jonathan and Stegg and their wives, Forrest Martin and his wife and Thunder on the Craig and his wife. They met in a small Elven bar.

”Thank you for coming. First the good news, my pregnant sisters, the three pregnant Half-Orc women and the Elven woman have passed their most recernt pre-nadal exams. While this is fine, it does not address a more pressing problem. Who is going to be there when these pregnant ladies give birth?

Thunder on the Craig, as the most Eldest, spoker first: “I had not considered this matter. I Have never been told this was a problem.”

”There have been problems, husband,” his wife rebutted, “but we do not generally tell husbands of such things.”

”Really?”

”How many such medical personel do you have?” Dent askedf.

”We have two Medical Doctors with expertise in delivery and twenty nurse midfwives. These nurse midwives work in the mines so they are also experts in many surgerial operations.” Thunder’s wife was one of the medical doctors.

”We have a small population,” Rowena spoke. “We have 8 medical doctors, 12 nurse practiceanors and some 10 nurses. The medical doctors and nurse praticenators have training and experience in birthing. However, there are differencves between Half-Orcs and both Elves and Humans. I don’t know about Hobbits.”

Forrest Martin was the third to speak and he spoke for the House of Fish:

”We have 5 meical doctors, 20 medical assistants and ten emergency technicians. The medical doctors and medical assistants have training and experience in birthing. The emergency technicians are intended to work on fishing boats and courier boats. They have some book learning regarding birthing procedures and might be helpful in absoluteluy uneventfujl deliveries. Beyond that, they are useless. They would go beyond their comfort zones almost immediately. Finally, Dent, what of your people?”

”We have all had standard training in pregnancy, it’s progression and delivery. We have been allowed to witness deliveries but at a distance. Most of my people were disgusted, they were fairly young, and some fainted. Of the lot, I am the only one who actively participated in any deliveries.”

”Really, Dent, you have never mentioned this to me before.” Rowena was amuised.

”I was there and closely witnessed deliveries, I was required to have ‘hands on experience’ in the case of some of my younger brothers and sisters.”

”How many,” Brother Jonathan was taking too much amusement, Dent thought in a grumpy mood.

”The youngest 10 of the 60. Of this group, 4 of my sisters and one of my brothers received what my teachers called ‘my loving touch’.”

”Your loving touch,” Thunder asked?

”Mostly contact with what I thought were old women. I was around ten to twelve at the time and this was a somewhat horrifying event all ten times.”

”Well, we are going to have to improve the capabilities of our medical staff. We can obtain refresher training for those in House of the Fish but the Half-Orc, Elves and Dent’s people, especially Dent’s people, are not supposed to be here.”

The normally totally calm Dent suddenly twitched and let out a little gasp.

”What is wrong, Dent,” Rowena asked in concern.

”Well, ah, northing. What about the Temple of the New Way?”

”We have one medical doctor, an old gentleman who has semi retiuered and a number of medical technicians. These medical technicians are fine combat medics and are the people you want to reduce fractures, put shoulders back in socket, are experts at knowing how and when to remove arrows and when not to remove them. They6 are qualified to do vascular surgeory , clean wounds, and definitely sew up patients. They have been known to perform some surgery under close supervision. They can identify the usual horrific diseases and can provide medical treatment until victims can be taken to qualified medical help. We could, I suppose, ernroll them into midwife training. That would led to questions about why my personnel need such specialized training given many of the people in my Temple simply are not planning to get pregnant or can not become pregnant. “ Brother Stegg sighed. “If my people need medical doctors, we just send out for them.”

Dent was figeting.

”What is it, Dent?” Thunder on the Craig had finally had enough of Dent’s twitching and sudden attack of nerves.

”It is probably nothing worth noting but they put my name down as “Assistant Midwife” on those ten birth certificates. I doubt if any of my kids actually read their birth ceretificates and I doubt they took them when they fled the House.”

Dent was forgetting that his birth ceretificate had been included with the bug out bag he had been given at the Castle of a friendly Baron, a Baron who had sheltered Dent and his people for three days after they left the Temple in the Assassins’ Guild Building.

”Well, we have established the problem and possible solutions. What do you say we go to dinner. Perhaps we can address your people after dinner?”

As the Eldest, Thunder on the Craig had declared the end of this meeting.

The dinner featured freshly baked bread with cheese and fresh butter, dates, some kind of greens, fish caught that morning and chickens traded for with sailors from City Four.

It was common for people to meet at pre-arranged floating docks in the southern end of the Great Sea near City Five. Forrest’s people had traded fish for stewing chickens; they could eat these chickdns because they had not named them.

The diners were offered dark beer, which they took with smiling thanks and dfrank. Dent and his people preferred White wine, the people of the House of the Fish liked red wine and the Half-Orc were fond of what Ten called “that God forsaken whiskey.
Dent knew that Thunder had asked Ten to bring everyone in Dent’s family to a meeting regarding their upcoming deliveries. Thunder had playfully whispered “birth certificates”.

When Ten got his people together he said “Elder Thunder has summouned us to a meeting about deliveries and he whispered “birth certificates”. I’m going to bring mine and I am going to read it carefully.”

Their birth certificates had been in their bug out bags.

As Dent’s people waiting their elders in the usual meeting place – a room in the Temporary Temple – they read their birth certificates very carefully and a number began to laugh.

When Dent arrived, he was greeted by laughing kin folk who were waving their birth certificates!

* * *

”What ever could you be waving?” Dent began with a laugh.

”Why, these little pieces of paper tell us who our mid wife was,” said a sister called “Dancer”. “A manly Lady our mid wife was, I’m sure!”

”Thank you, I think, little sister. I’ve been called many thigs but ‘manly Lady’ is a first.” He laughed.

”How long have you known me, Dent?”

”Little one, I have known you since before first you drew breath! I might have been a boy when you presented yourself to this world but I saw you take your first breath and I swore I would try to help give you a perfect life. I have failed but by the one God I like to think I have tried! Ten and Loraine were nearby and would have witnessed your birth but the midwife and the All Father’ didn’t want to crowd your Mother.” He paused and in the dead silence, his taking a shuddering breath sounded incredibly loud. “You were beautiful on the inside just as you were beautiful on the outside. You are still beautiful on the inside and I think you are beautiful on the outside. However, I don’t expect to find out so I relie on the testimonies of your husband.”

”And her wifes too,” a soft female voice injected.

”I feel the same about everyone else I helped to deliver. Yes, I feel the same about those I did not deliver. Then there was my annoying little brother now called Ten.” He sighed…

”Dent, do you have any idea how much we dreaded the thought of having to be ‘physically intimate’ with you?”

”Yes, I do, Dancer! Physical intamicy should be occasions of joy and love. They should not be events to be dreaded. If I had been forced into the 20 and 5 plan the would be matchmakers who scheming up. Ah, if I had been forced into that I simply would not have participated, would not have coroporated. So what does that make me?

He paused and no one spoke.

”I am both your eldest brother and your leader and the senior Monk in our Monestary. I suspect that Ten and KG and James will be easing me into retirement before I’m ready to go. Don’t worry, my friends, you’ll have to fight to get me to be the ghost in the shadows.”

”Brothers,” Dent said with a laught, “I strongly recommend you attend your wife’s delivery. It will be good for you; I survived it four tiems! Besides, if she breaks your hand by squeezijng it too tightly then remember you got her into this mess and you have another hand.”

”What if another of my wifes breaks that other hand?”

”That could be a problem!”

That ended the cometertic mood and Dent began to give a combat intensity briefing.

”Amazing,” Rowena said. “He can go from the intense emotional moment to a combat orientated briefing so easily and their moods shift to follow him so easily.”

”He probably can go back to the intense emotional state as easily.” Thunderr spoke.

”They are not what we call ‘human’.” Again Thunder spoke.

”No,” said Rowena, “they are better than human.”

”We must ensure they are able to speciate and to reach a sustainable population level. We will be the matchmakers and we can do it better than Dent suspects!”

Later that evening, Dent and his emotionally exhausted people asked the Elders to come visit them.

”It seems to us the best choice will be for Forrest to ask his medical people to receive additional training from what we understand to be a teaching hospital in City 5. Speaking as a survivor of a major attack in that city, I am worried the wrong people could wonder why so many people are getting training in childbirth. Might they come to the conclusion that we are in the House of the Fish or west of there?”

Brother Stegg replied for the Elders: ”That is a serious problem, Dent. I wonder if that Hospital could send teachers to the House of the Fish?”

Forrest Martin, the Elder of the House of the Fish responded: ”We don’t have a modern, proper, hospital. I suspect they would have to take training aids with them. This would diminish the teaching capabilities of their Mother Hospital. If an intelligence organization was monitoring stragethic organizations, then they would note the movement of these teachers and training aids. Don’t forget the most instructive training comes from life patients and first observing pre-nadal checks and actual deliveries. We can’t move patients to the House of Fish by either stage coach without basically making erveryone in Cityy Five aware that something very unusual is happening.”

”Among other things, I am a trained and experienced intelligence professional. It would take a lot of people to first determine what is normal in the various institutions and then to infiltrate said institutions and develolpe informants. After developing informants, there is the question of getting reports from informants and sending instructions back. If their Sheriff, Willis Meyers Foulston is who I think he is, he would have gotten the “Father of Assassins” to arrange his own set of watchers. I believe we can trust there is a ‘Father of Assassins’ in City Five serving as the Spy Master. The deaths of our family while basically spying in three different taverns on our way through town must have infuriated both Fathers. They will have cracked down.“

”When I visited this Sheriff Foulston, I got the sense of great anger. I didn’t feel it was directed towards Johathan or me,” Brother Stegg said.

* * *

The next morning, Forrest Martin and his wife took to their trap and went back north to the House of Fish. After greeting their children, Forrest got coffee for both him and his Aunt. He then went into his office and put both coffee cups on his desk. His Aunt thundered in.

”There you are! Why didn’t you tell me you were back?”

”I saw you watching from a window. Then, I got coffee for both of us. Ah, by the way, you are welcome!”

”I suppose you expect me to thank you for this excellent coffee.? Fine, I thank you.

”So, what has happened in the past two days?”

”We received a number of copies of reports from post offices and Harbour Masters. We have been stacking up military and government agency changes of mailing addresses and Harbour Master reports of ship movements. I have been storing them in hopes you will create a little Intelligence Agency of your very own and analyze them.”

His Aunt did not think much of using Dent’s people and a number of Elves and Hobbits to analyze the data for patterns. She knew the Emperor had at least two such agencies, the House of Assassins and House of Thieves had their own analysts and a combined agency. It was common knowledge – perhaps even true knowledge – the Army, Navy and Coast Guard also had such agencies. No one knew what the Sublime Nation did with the data they colleted but they were considered among the best of the “Intel Boys”.

”How are the pregnant ladies, dear nephew?”

”They are fine, dear Aunt.”
”Pray continue!”

”There are the 20 pregnant human variants called ‘Dent’s People’, the 3 Half-Orcs, 1 Elve woman and I swear at least one of the Hobbits was pregnant.”

”Really?” His Aunt was curious.

”Thin neck, large belly, leaning backwards and walking slowly. Plus, her husband proudly told me ‘I got her pregnant’!”

She nodded and sipped her coffee.

”They are going to have problems with delivering so any fetus. When they lived in the Temple, they had high level medical help inside the House of Assassins. If necessary, they could ‘send out for’ other doctors from the Emperor’s Medical Hospital, from the doctors in two or three different Temples and the Midwives Guild. In the land down south (they never spoke the word “Sanctuary”), they have too few medical doctors or mid-wives. We have 5 medical doctors, 20 medical assistants and 10 emergencyh technicians. I’m told the medical; doctors and medical assistants are capable of handling deliveries. The emergency technicians would not do at all well if faced with dealing with deliveries by themselves. We need to get them trained in hospital.

By this time, his Aunt had transformed into his Secretary and had taken some notes. Then, she froze with pen taping against her top teeth and was clearly thinking.

”I know the Hospital Director in City Five and the dfiretor of the Woman’s Heath Department. I can send them letters. We might have to arrange funding for this but we can make long term arrangements for bartering fish and some of the barley crops. I suppose you could trade some of the refined metals from the south for wine from those barbarians in Gaul. I will get busy with this as soon as I finish this coffee.”

His Aunt had the attitude that free coffee was the best coffee and coffee that someone brought her was the very finest. This ignored the fact that her coffee was actually better than coffee from the fish drying House..,.

He had brought several “barbarians from Gaul” who had docked in their Harbour to a reception. They had been introduced a visitors from “one of the other cities”. It helped these barbarians had spoken the common language with little accent. His Aunt was charmed by the visitors.

”Having found how manty medical persons there were, she checked her contacts list and she wrote letters to the Hospital Director, the Hospital Director of Woman’s Heath and the Midwife Department of the University. She mentioned they were expecting visitations from pregnant women in the surrounding towns an asked if the medical personal from the House of the Fish could receive refresher training in baby delivery.

She gave the draft letters to the leadership of the House of the Fish and sent copies to the Elders in Sanctuary. It took more than a week for the various p[artries to agree upon an acceptable letter. This then went to the people in City Five.

Before they finally went home, Brother Stegg was given an open letter to Sheriff Foulston which just told him of the need to train their medical personnel. He was also given a personal letter from Dent to be delivered to the ‘All Father‘.

With the departure of both Priests and their wives, life in Sanctuary gradually came back to normal

* * *

”Both Brothers Jonathan and Stegg and their wives arrived in City Five by mid morning having left the town called House of the Fish quite early. Brother Stegg sent a note to Sheriff Foulston, via one of the Sheriff Police who guarded the government quay and then they relaxed on the nice, stationary, non-moving quay while waiting for their stomachs to settle down. Perhaps an hour later, an Sheriff Police carriage arrived with an escort. Brother Stegg was informed that “the Sheriff will be pleased to meet with you at your convenience”.

Brother Stegg climed into the carriage and rumbled off to the City Government Building.

Sgegg and Foulson discussed the need for training the medical personnel of the House of the Fish. Sheriff Foulson then said the City would pay for the housing and training of these medical personnel. Brother Stegg was quite pleased.

At the end of the meeting, Brother Stegg reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and handed Sheriff Foulston an envelope.

”There is a separate letter inside the outer envelope. I don’t know the language it is written In.”

Looking and feeling puzzled, Sheriff Fourston opened the outer envelop and froze, stunned, when he read what was written.

”Who gave you this letter?”

”We both know the gentleman who wrote this. Speaking as an Elder to another Elder while delivering the letter of an Eldest you know well, let us just say it would be better that I speak no further. This entire conversation is under the Seal of the Confessional. Do you agree?”

”Yes, I do.”

”One other thing, Sheriff, the man I am talking about loves his family deeply. This love includes those who were taken from him. He worries about those who left, perhaps taken from when they were very young? To change the subject, we are thinking of animal husbandry and are planning on mating our 20 donkeys with our 4 horses. We have an old stallion who will not mated with these donkeys. If we are to increase our number of mules, we need to work on mating their parents. I am really not talking about mules as you know very well Willis Meyers Foulston.

”That few?” Foulston shock his head. “On a different subject, if speciation is to occur then there must be reproduction. “

”That is so true and so under the Seal.,”

Both men looked at each other with the assurance they understood each other perfectly and shared the goal of the survival of Dent’s people..

Then, Foulston said something that would haunt Dent for years. “Tell Dent that the baby twin of the James that he baby-sat was really James the Forth in line of birth. If James who escaped the House is alive, he has three younger identical brothers.”

Then Stegg said “The James who fled the House of Assassins is healthy and doing quite well.”

Foulston, also known at the ‘All Father‘.was both comforted and sad wishing he could meet again his eldest James.

Wllis Meyers Foulston[ii]

* * *

Toward the end of a morning’s training in which Dent’s ladies did well and the men did very well and the Hobbits at least showed up, Dent was meditating in a very strange way. He was hanging off the climbing wall when he decide to try Ten’s magical techniques and perhaps a few variations. First, he moved in a clockwise fashion on the wall; then in a counter-clockwise fashion. He turned sideways and attempted to essay a circle but this did not work so well.

His performance ended when he found himself upside down, head pointing towards the ground and not to sure of where his feet were. Ten climbed rapidly up the wall and asked Dent “are you anywhere close to fine?”

”Oh hell now,” Dent replied. “I’m dizzy and I have now idea if my feet are anywhere close to the wall.”

”KG,” Ten yelled, “climb the wall on the other side of Dent. Take his left ankle in your left hand and I will take his right ankle in my right hand. I think we can walk Dent to the ground if we slide our hands on the wall.”

Dent walked his hands toward the ground and his family members carefully lowered his feet toward the ground. When he reached the thick and soft mat, he grunted “please let go” and then did a smooth forward roll onto the mat and plopped safely onto the mat. He didn’t move and just said “fine” when asked how he was

People watching from a distance those it was amazing. Dent’s family members passed it off as a training exercise and demonstration of a rescue technique. They did not mention the possibility of a series of spells which should have worked well had failed horribly.

KG, perhaps remembering the times Dent had “been there” to help her, had gone to the big kitchen and brought back coffee cups with the blends each preferred. Then, they walked Dent to their favourite meeting place in the “Temporary Temple”. They sat, just enjoying each other’s company.

”What was that all about?” KG asked.

”I was thinking that if we can maneuver around walls head up, why not facing sideways or upside down?”

”Perhaps with heads up you are climbing up and down. Heads down and you are trying to push yourself upwards. It might be a psychological matter?”

”That sounds like a good answer, KG, and something I would not have believed. I was thinking the spells cancelled gravity to an extent and pushing or pulling got the same results. Here is my little book with the spells I tried to use. Most of them are yours, Ten.”

Ten took the little book and read through the spells.

”It get tricky to do what you planned. You have to take into account your chakra points and their orientation to the God source, that is your orientation to the source of gravity. The direction to ‘source of gravity’ is simply straight down. Mathematical analysis can show how the direction your head points can change your orientation. Basically, your orientation must remain from top to bottom. However, some philosophers from the distant east claim you can create spells that write over your orientation and this allow you to craw head down a wall.”

Dent looked at KG, they both rolled their eyes and looked back at Ten.

”Doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

”I agree with KG,” Dent said.

”One of my tutors made it look simple. He taught me a form of Greek mathematics and a form of mathematics from one of the cities in a Gaul kingdom. Somehow, I thought we all learned this.”

”I certainly didn’t,” Dent said.

”So, how were we taught? I remember intensive tutoring, perhaps with one or two other students. There were times when the whole group were taught together but given the age differences, those were rare. So, how are people taught?”

”Parents,” Ten said.

”Parents and older brothers and older sisters,” KG added.

”I’d say parents and aunts and uncles as well as younger brothers and sisters,” Dent put in.

”So who teaches the humans? Who teaches the Haff-Orc, the Elven, the Hobbits and other modified humans like Forrest?” KG was feeling frustrated.

”I heard something about a ‘Department of Education’ but don’t know what they do. Who educates who? Who decide what to educate? Why does it not make any sense?” KG was throwing her hands up and chugged much of her coffee.

KG stood and waved her hands towards a passing Half-Orc. He walked over to the Dent humans.

”How did you learn? Who taught you?”

”My parents and grandparents taught us cooking, house clreaning, things to do in the house. We were put into groups of people of same agre and were told to learn things. We had teachers who taught us during the year. The next year we other teachers. When we were old enough, we wenty to work in the mines and in the fields and old people taught us then. Why do you ask?”

”That is pretty much how we were taught.” Ten was in a mood to talk.

”Do you mind if I sit,” the Half-Orc asked

”How did you learn?”

”The same way you did.”

”How much time did you spend in classroom?”

”The age range between my wife and I and the very youngest was like twelve years. They could not put us in large classes. For example, I got my doctorate before some of my people graduated from what we think of being the end of public schooling and the start of specialized college training,.”

”Most folks learn in classrooms. The students are selected based on their ages and how well they have done class.”

”What if a student has trouble understanding? Do they go to a different class/ What if they are so intelligent they are bored to sleep In class? Do they go to higher classes?”

”No, cousins, they are trapped in classes based on their ages.”
”That sounds horrible,” KG said.

”It is,” the Half-Ord replied.

”Would you like some coffee?” Dent asked.

”No, Elder Dent; I thank you for the offer but I ust return home and help prepare dininer,.”

The young Half-Or bowed to Dent and nodded to KG and Ten, then walked off.

”What are we going to do to teach our poor children?” KG was upset.

”We will have to come up with a good solution!” Ten agreed.

”We will come up with a good education system for our children, the Half-Orcs, the elves and even the Hobbits,” Dent saidf softly. “We will have to do so because we can not have separate education systems for the children. That would destroy our new civilization and our civilization is far too fragile.”

”We were given very intensive education by well trained teachers who could tell our attention level. This ‘book learning’ as I have heard it called was alternated with physical education. None of the children here are forced to march and run from the time they are five. None of them have been given infantry training and had weekly nighttime immediate response drills. None of them were carefully trained in various martial arts from the time they were four. None of them were taught therif and assassin skills. They were raised to be so soft!” Ten was angry; the problem was not even he coujld have said who he ws angry at.

”The Half-Orcs, oh hell, let us just call those family members ‘Orc’ were raised to work the mines and work in the fields. The mines are smelly. The ERlves wre raised to be clerks, teachers and to work the fields. We are going to have to decide what to raise our own as.”

”Let’s come up with some ideas, Dent and we can talk with the Elders.”

They then walked off to their evening meal and to their evening entertainment: Orc music with the Orc teenagers doing “sword dances” but using shovels and Elves playing musical instruments. The Elves were poor singers so Orc singers – who sang bass – were trying to sing songs meant for saporanos. It was quite a performance.

* * *

Although they were four months pregnant, Dent’s sisters were quite capable of keeping up with the training routines they had used for years. If Dent lead their group at a slower pace during the morning runs and had stopped doing sprints, they just told each other Dent was getting fairly old. (Dent was in his early 30s.)

Dent just smiled and thought of when he would return to the stringent exercise routine after his ladies were fully recovered from their deliveries. He also started doing the stringent workout in private for fear of not being able to lead it himself…

Dent had the Hobbits been able to take the Hobbits from doing pushups against the wall to doing knee pushups. They were still doing the situp variant based on a person being raised into a situp position and then slowly lowering themselves backwards to the soft mat. They needed a soft mat for the number of times they had simply lost strength and fallen backwards. They were doing pullups with a simple machine that partially supported them. It was amusing. Finally, the Hobbits had worked their way up to a slow 2 mile walk. Dent knew none of the adult Hobbits would ever be runners but he had hopes their children could be trained to be runners.

Dent was always amazed with the layout of Sanctuary. When it had been the slave colony of some unknown persons, there had been barracks built for the “workers” and rather nice if not eleaborate housing for the middle management.

There were large apartment buildings with multiple one or two bedroom apartments. These were being connected into large multi-room apartments. When modified, each had a large bedroom with a very large bed, five apartments with room for 7 beds – one for each future Mother and 6 for the future children and living rooms and kitchen and 2 bathrooms in each unit. With the unusual arrangement of one husband and five wives, there was no telling how many would be in each bed. There were already days with husbands looking frazzled as well as happy and even a few days when husbands had felt the urge to sleep alone.

Dent knew a number of his people had become bored with a lack of intellectual stimulation. He has plans to remedy that!

Dent clapped his hands when everyone had seated themselves for lunch.

”I’d like to have a brief meeting with everyone after lunch. I have some ideas I’d like to float and would like to get everyone’s help.

Then he sat down.

* * *

Dished cleared away and the kitchen staff had come back; everyone who had heard Dent stood or sat waiting.

”Thank you for waiting while we enjoyed that excellent lunch.Can I get a round of applause for our wonderful kitchen people?”

Applause was dutifully offered, some of it coming from the kitchen and “wait” staff.

”Change is coming and trust me, I know about change. If we plan for the coming changes, they don’t need to be hard. In fact, they could be exicting. Life has been going it’s normal routine in spite of newcomers to this ancient city. The people of Sanctuary has accepted two groups of refubgees and I know my group are gratreful. If has horriubly difficult for us to break away from our lives. The Hobbitts were taken from their old lives and then had to escape from the horrible lives between then and now. Both groups are people with Soldier’s Heart. The ancestors of those living in Sanctuary had it and I hope the memories of their pain has decreased or been lost into the world of odd stories. I really hope this. For me and my relatives, Soldierr’s Heart is real. For the Hobbits, Soldier’s Heart is real. Hopefully, those memories will fade. But back to my main topic: boredom!”

”I know we are clearlya physical fok with high levels of physical fitness and training. We are soldiers and we are skilled at Martial Arts. We are also intelletuals who had ;rich ‘live of the mind’ when we were in the House. Now, I fear we could be facing boredom. What do people do when they are alone or in small groups? Alone activities include r4ading and writing, solving math problems or other intellectual activity. We don’t have a great many books or pamphlets or even church tracts to read. Does any one have private libraries they may let others read? One of my people is a masgter of a rare and arcane magical skiler that allows one to copy books without having to take up pen and paper. This does not harm the source material and ould be used to create libraries. We could ask our feriends in the House of the Fish if they have books they would like to donate for copying.”

”What type of books do you want, Elder Dent,” one of the Half=Orc asked.

”Anything you consider wsorth reading.”

”What if it could offend you Elders?”

” That could be a problem for you, young man but not a problem for me.”
”What about a private library or have books be given anonymousdly?”

”That would be an excellent idea, especially if you fear the books might offend someone.” Dent was happy to get such easy questions.

”There is the excitement of reading something you think your parents might disapprove of.” Spoke Elizabeth, one of Dent’s very youngest sisters. She had looked at Dent while speaking.

”Really, dear, I’m not your Father,” Dent told Elizabeth.

”Really, dear, you might as well; be,” Elizabeth replied.

”Dent sighed and this amused a number of listeners, many of them not of his clan.

“C'est la guerre[2]”, Dent sighed.

“Don’t you mean ‘C'est la vie’[3],” she replied.

People would later ask both what the phrases meant and why they had spoken them. Both Dent and Elizabeth would stumble their way through answers. It was so obvious to them but not to those who did not share their partifular philosophical background.

”Now, a suggestion: the next time we get visitors from up north or they comer here, please ask them if they any books they would be willing to loan us. I don’t know if any one is interested in fish statistics but you never know. Some good mysteries would be nice. “

”What are ‘mysteries’?” one Elve asked.

”They are books about crimes committed and how the heroes tracked down the villains” was what one of Dent’s folks replied. “They are fun to read!”

”I have written several mysteries myself,” another of Dent’s folks said.

”What kind of stories are these,” Dent wanted to know?

”Stories about crimes committed in a Monestory embedded into a government building”, his sister replied.

”Did you bring a copy of these books?”

By his sister’s silence, Dent knew she had brought copies but thinking of the books made her think of her Mother who had edited the books and her deceased clan members who had read them.

”If you feel the urge, perhaps you might loan copies. Perhaps you could let our sister make magical copies.” He paused and spoke again. “I’ve also liked historical fiction about past adventures.” Do we have anyone willing to teach the writing of novels, short stories, short-short stories and poetry?
A few hands came up and just as quickly were hauled down by oddly shy listeners.

”I think everyone in here has stories bubbling in them. To get a feel for the correct forms takes some reading and practice and reading is an acquired taste.”

Dead silence met this remark.

”Back to the first of the two real reasons for this talk. How are we going to educate the coming children? I don’t know what age Orc and Elve children start their formal schooling. I suppose you could say their education begins about the time they can hear people talkingto them. Itg certainly continues with folks pointing to objects and sayhing thre names of objefts. I know that childfren learn words by first hearing them spoken over and over again and then learn to associate these words with meaning. Beyond that is when they begin their formal training. I don’t know very much about this. We were taught from very young ages byh bing strongly encouraged to do things like run short distances, do pushup against the wall and watch older folks performing ‘Monk stuff’ in Temple training. Much of our education took the form of short periods of instruction in different skills or subjeft materials. When we were older, we studied physical activities in groups and in classes. I’ve been told this is not the usual way of teaching. If anyone would like to talk,the floor is yours!”

Dent sat and reached for his glass of white wine. A sip wet his throat.

Thunder on the Craig was the first to respond: “We t44each our children different languages in much the same fashion tdhat Elder Dent mentrioned. Some are capable of learing mujltiple languages, some only one and there are always, I’m afgraidf, who reallyh don’t learn even one language. We have had children who learn Elfish or the human common language but never grasp Orc. We can not explain it as their children typically can learn all three languages. The odd thing is they turn out to be good workers in the mines or the farms. A couple have even done well on Elder Martin’s boats. Elder Martin tells me this gets strange reactions from the folks Eldere Martin trades with. Once the kids are 6, they start going to a class where they are expected to learn to get along with other children. Children who knew they were either the center of the universe or lived there with a brother or sister and pfrobably8 have not learned to share or to play nicely with others. Children were happy to claim their own toys and play with them. They also claimed other children’s toys and played with them as if they were they own. They also kept other children’s toys as if they were their own. If could be hard to redistribute toys to original owners.

Thunder took a drink of a dark beer that he favoured.

”When these children began classroom shooling, it was fortunate they had given up playing with toys. Parents and teachers took many of the toys, repaired them and gqave them to younger children to claim as their own and they did. Children are put ionto classes baed on their ages and how werll they can get along with children of the other sex. Thus, we have classers for boys only and classes for girls only. When children are capable of living with the other sex, they are taught in this group. At first, all the children have about the same ability to learn. But, as they grow, the differencers in intelligence show aond some classes are simply slowed down.”

A hand was waving.

”Yes, KG?”

”Doesn’t this lead to boredom, inattentative student and serious discipline problems?”

”Yes, it doers, KG.” Thunder on the Craig was impressed with KG’s quick grasp of the problem.

”We then encourage these bored students to be patient. This doesn’t work very well. So, the classers are split up into the slow, the average and the fast. We don’t have very many students as we don’t have very many children and that means we have to provide tutoring to the slow students and to the very smart students. Eventually, we like to integrate fast students with older students and that leads to social problems. We can only hope to hold every thing together. Eventually, the students are graduated and move into the usual jobs or go to more advanced education.

”That is horrifying,” Ten stated.

” Then be prepared for more horror, Ten,” Rowena said. “We have the same education system. As much as you would like to change this and we would, you are likely to find your own children suffering through the same morass.”

”Do we have enough teachers to teach combined groups of children? What of your people Dent? You are all highly intelligentr and well trained; you and your people might make good teachers. But, it will be vastly different than you think.”

”I know that already, Rowena. I taught the uses of spies at the House. I also taught the delicate art of ‘tradecraft’.”
”Tradecraft Dent?” asked Rowena?

”The delicate art of allowing spies to send and receive messages, collect data and put it a proper form for being sent onto the analysts. Also, motivating skies and getting them in various needful places. It was sometimes tricky!”

”It sounds hard. Shall we discuss this over a nice lager?”]

”Of course my dear of course!”

Dent and Rowna walked off. When they were clearly out of range, KG said to Elizabeth “for a teacher of tradecraft, he seems to lose his grasp when talking with her.”

”I know sister; it is so sweet!”

After a few minutes, Rowena turned to Dent and asked “what was that second subject you were going to talk about?”

”Have you ever thought about how people get information, get news from their towns, their nearby cities, news about interesting events? I have not myself to be candid. What I was thinking about was how to exploit these ideas. What I was thinking of is…

Dent continued talking for several minutes; Rowena thought and then replied. Together they went off to a little bar…

*…..*…..*

In the hospital of City Five, the Hospital Director stood when his Director of Women’s Medicine and the Head of Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OB/GYN) came into his office. He greeted both ladies and gestured them to seats around a table.

”Thank you for coming in this afternoon. Are you familiar with a village west of here called ‘The House of Fish’”?

”Yes I am,” the OB/GYN doctor replied. “I have given pre-nadar exams to some of their ladies and delivered most of their current generation. Their leading Medical Doctor is quite capable of performing deliveries and has done so. He has remained fully qualified since he has hospital privileges here. I have invited him to perform deliveries and there are families which have the custom of this doctor performiong all deliveries.”

”We received a letter from this Medical Doctor” the Hospital Director said.

”Excellent! Are you going to tell us he wishes to work here?”

”Ah, no, he is asking us to give refresher training on medical delivery to a group of his people. We were told the House of the Fish have 5 Medical Doctors 20 Medical Assistents and 10 Emergency Technicians. The five Medical Doctor very skilled and routinely come to work in the Woman’s Department. We like them. Their Medical Assistants are outstanding helping and are fully qualified to work Independent Duty and deliver fetuses. Their Medical Assistants are great if you want arrows pulled, wounds cleaned and sewn up and diseasses disgnosed and treatment started. But, aside from an absolutely perfect delivery, I would not want these MAs alone with a woman in delivery. Why do you ask?”

There was a pause.

”I should point out at the bottom of this letters are the names ‘Forrest Martin’ and ‘Beverly Martin’. ‘Beverly Martin’ is both Forrest’s Secretary and is Aunt. When her name is on a letter, I know she actually wrote the final draft of the letter and he simply signed it. Her name is also on the list of students.”

”Is she a student?”

”No, she is more a guardian dragon,” the Hospital Director replied. After a brief pause he continued: “To continue: their senior Medical Doctor has asked to send his 5 MDs and all 20 Medical Assistants to us fror training in all aspects of delivery. He did not say why but asked us to provide safe quarters to his people, comprehensive training and life training with pregnant women. Again, he did not say why.”

”I recall something unusual about this fine MD?” asked the Director of Woman’s Medicine.

”He and his people are a possibly unique mixture of human and Denisovan For some reason, people find them comforting to be around. I certainly do.”

”Some of my patients insist on this ob/gyn because they find him comforting.” One of the Women’s Doctors said.,

”Their community leader, Forrest Martin, sent this letter to us. In it, he offered to pay us for the housing, the training, etc. He offered to trade fish, wine undoubtedly smuggled in from the quote savages north of the Great Central Sea unquote, precious woods from far to the east and his gratitude. However, this load of treasure would result in us having to sell it. We are being spared this because Willis Meyers Foulston offered a very nice amount of money. Have you heard of Willis Meyers Foulston? He is Sheriff!”

”I seem to recall an ob/gyn by that name in a major teaching hospital in the Central City decades ago.”

”You remember correctly. You will be very wise if you do not mention this to anyone. Ever!”

”Then why would Dr. Willis Meyers Foulston be interested?”

”Dr. Foulston could be expecting patients to arrive from elsewhere, patients who may not be our usual genetic mixture. Don’t be surprised if this Dr. Foulston drops by.”

”When can we expect these students?”

”Hopefully we’ll have more than several days warning. I have already set aside rooms in the secure section of the Hospital. Would you ladies like a shot of whiskey to go with my news?”

After downing a couple of shots, the two MDs left as the Hospital Director chugged a third shot, put the letters into a folder and locked said folder into his desk safe.

The next morning, the Hospital Director’s Secretary had a hand scribbled draft letter on her desk. This letter referenced Director Forrest Martin’s letter. The scribbed letter seemed to talk about housing in secure housing, asked what reqjuirements the students would have in terms of food or medications, said they would be gieven books, note books, pens, ink and hand outs. There was more but the good secretary dfid not attempt to figure this out. He just drafted a reply. He was careful to state the City would pay for everything. He also invited Beverly Martin to visit…

The Hospital Director came in late that morning, read his Secretarie’s version of the letter and signed it. He didn’t need to worry about committing Sheriff Foulston, MD, for the expenses. That worthy had been working on something in the Hospital (one did not ask if one was wise) and had been shown the letter before the Director had arrived. The Sheriff had approved the letter.

The letter was dutifully put in envelope and sent via an official government courier boat to the House of the Fish.

* * *

In Sanctuary, Dent was again learing the difference between being a Leader who took advise and then made decisions and issued his orders, secure in the knowledge he ruled and someone who “chaired” committee meetings and lead with the blessings of the lead. Since Dent had never told his King fantasy to anyone, he didn’t realize that everything he did was with his people’s approval. He own people did not realize this either. The fact his people almost never bitched about Dent’s leadership simply meant he had their .approval.

One of the first agenda items was “who gets which bedroom and why should the husband always get the big bed?” Dent replied “work it out yourselves”. Rowena and Thunder’s wives said they would work with the various wives. Dent was grateful.

Another agenda item was “who decides the intellectual activities we can participate in?” Dent replied “we need all the participation we can get. Why don’t we decide what intellectual work should be done. Don’t leave out anything you ae interested in.” Dent figured this would lead to internal conflicts in his commit and that would give Dent, Ten, KG and Rowena time to come up with that agenda.

As the committee began bickering, KG looked at him and gave him a head gesture that could only mean “ESCAPE! NOW!” Dent “if you’ll excuse me” as he escaped when unheard. He left to find himself a beer.

In an increasingly popular little bar, he found his beer and a group of young people, mostly his own. They had drawings and what looked like ceramic artwork. He asked the rethorial question “may I join you?” Dent was immediately given the best seat at the table.

He knew better than to ask what they were working on. He simply said “how far have you gotten in your plans?”

We have several different plans Elder Dent. There are different ideas of what he need. We think that housing is probably the best idea. We have ideas of room size. Right now we’re thinking of multiple bedrooms with steep stairs.”

”What of when residents are old or disabled or pregnant?”

”It would mak steep stairs somewhat difficuklt. I know Orfcs ae supposed to say ‘we tought., we climb steep stairs. We don’t scream in pain.”

”Wisely said” Dent told the young Orc., “Would your suggestion be shallow stairs..”

It could, Dent,” replied one of Dent’s people. “But tghen you’ve cut ionto thr size and possible orientation of bedrooms. We haven’t projected ahead the age distribution of future residents. “
”Now, the current arrangement of husband and five wives means thee six and tgheir future children must be close together. We built the married housing to suit the First Birthings. What about when we have the Second and FinaL Birthings?”

This young woman was yet to have her first set of twins and was looking forward to this ending. Dent made careful mental note of this sister’s name and realized he would have to tell the planning committee. He then realized they did not have a planning committee and wondered how he could set one up. He knew of one person who had set up such committees decades before.

Dent wasn’t sure he was ready to meet the ‘All Father‘.

Dent would have been disconcerted if he knew the ‘All Father‘ wasn’t ready to met them!

Dent spoke again: “We have Orcs, Elves, Hobbits and our humans to design around. What of the needs of these other peoples?”

”The Orc and Elves are fairly stable populations, Elder Dent,” one Orc replied. We have a good projection of ;your people’s populatin for Generations one, two and tghree. Generation 1, 2 and 3 will bring the Dent folk population to it first maximum in about 5 to 6 years. The first merging will be around year 28. We are going to need extra rooms for 4 of each of the first six born. We have to put them close to their parents. We can’t add rooms further down in the hotels because we don’t want that much serparation between parents and children. Eventually, that might be a good idea.?

”We will need a mass meeting if we’re going to get extra 21 rooms added to each familie’s appartments. However,” Dent smilled, “it might be easier than you thjink. First, you need to come up with population figures. Then, we need a meeting to sell the idea of moving 3 family apartments. When you have created these presentations and written your speeches, I will be happy to listen to you practice.”

”What do we want to say in our speeches” James asked.

”You must deciede what you want to say. Remember my friends, your audience has not had this conversation so you must first tell them the problem, subtly tell them how bad the problem will be and them your solutions. Then, you fan worry about the second generation. We haven’t planned on how many generations they will have but twins sound like a good idea. We might want to put in additionial housing in future expansions to the hotel system we have. We might use the spires as housing for future unwed or newly wed folks of all four groups. This is not something we need to decide today ad something that everyone is likely to have opinions on.”

That was when Rowena wandered in, sat next to Dent and said “I left the young ladfies bickering about future intellectual activities. What lovely sculptures you have here. What might I ask have you been working on?”

The working group briefed her audience on what they had been talking about. Rowena expressed appreciation and asked when they thought their presentations would be ready. The working group allowed it could take a month.”

”That is far too long. The various families are already settling in so your talk has to be sooner. Perhaps tomorrow night?”

”Perhaps the night after that. After all, they have not drawn their presentations?” Dent was clearly amused.

”What does drawing our presentations meant?”

”That means drawings whichn illustrate your story., your speed,” Dent replied.

Dent’s people, thinking of the intelligence briefings they had been involved in nodded. The Orcs, thinking of presentations on mining activities Thunder on the Craig required, also nodded in agreement.

”Here is a notion you could try,” Dent said. “I saw this at one of the Intelligence Analysist offices in the War Minstry. They were called ‘lifts’ and were large enough to carry several people from one floor to another. I’ve forgotten how these lifts were moved up and down.”

”We have large sized liftws in the mines for moving oar around. There are alsdo littler lifts for moving food and drink, they are called ‘the cooks assistant’. We don’t have any man lifts. We were told they were too dangerous.”

”They don’t Have to be, Son of Thunder on the Craigs, they have to uerd with great caution. It cold be the difficulty of tunneling the shaft?”

”That is true, Elder Rowena. We usually hear the ore moving and we wrap the food carefully. Otherwise it can get mixed up. Otherwise, it could work.”

”Then brief it, Son of Thunder on the Craigs. Brief your audience on the hope of lifts but also tell them you have yet to work out the engineering.” He smiled.

”This could be an intellectual challenge Dent.” Rowena also smilled. Not knowing about the Committee on Intellectual Subjects, the housing planning committee was puzzled but figured “these are Elders and who knows what they think?”

As they stroll off, Rowena asked Dent “I have been thinking about that intellectual subject you mentioned the other night?”

”Forrest’s Aunt Beverly is getting snippy about the Post Office reports and Fleet Harbour ship movement reports. It probabluy is a standard form of analysis but we can correlate ship movement with changes in Post Office instructions for holding and forwarding instructions. It is very likely the two will correlate. If a unit is supposed to land in City 3 but the Post Office shows mail being forwarded to City 4, we have two solutions. First, they are really going to City 3 and the Post Office instructions are wrong or they are going to City 4 and the Harbour movement report was in error.”

”What if it is both?”

”That is the problem then. Rowena. We lack information.”

”How could we get this information?”

”If we can not depend on the official courses,. Rowena, we might need to try less formal soures?”

”Then, it is back to our little group of iintellectual planers!”

Dent and Rowena returned to the group of Intellectual Activity Planners, who were clearly simply chatting.

”Have you decided which actgivitgies you wish to work on?”

Dent smiled broadly at the group.

The group smilled or smirked at both Elders.

”Yes, we have.”

Dent was right about the

conflict in the matter of intellectual puruits. He really didn’t expect to be given everyone’s wish list!

”Do you have a consolidated list?”

”We could not create suich a list, Elder Dent, simply because every list is worded differently

”Then, perhaps you could decide on who would work on which projects?”

”You got into arguments that you could not resolve?

”Yes, Elder Rowena.”
”Did you ask how many would be willing to work on each proposal? The person coming up with each one is a start. Anyone not working on a project could help out. Perhaps you could estimate how each project could take?”

”How many did not submit any ideas,” Dent asked.

Almost half the group had not proposed projects.

”We may have some projects you could help with?” Dent suggested.

”Aunt Beverly, that is Forrest Martin’s Aunt, is getting testy at ther amount t of ship movement reports subitt3ed to Harbour Masters. She is also testy at the number of change of address cards military units and ships are sending to various Post Offices. We need to analyze these for patterns and for anomalies. This is something we could be working on.”

”What are movement reports, Elder Dent?”

”When a ship goes from port to port or leaves for various activities, they are supposed to tell their home port and the port they are going to. The Port Masters in the five major cities and several small cities with major ports get copies of these reports. There is a thriving trade in making copies of these reports. Forrest has told me stories of the size of bribes he has been offered. Sugglers love them.”

”Could ships be posting fake reports in order to hunt smugglers? Could they be posting fake reports in order to smuggle?” KG had her “intense concentration” expression on her face.

”Going to the ‘wrong port’ or not going to the ‘corret port’ is the provlem. We could end up with a number of cases with two or more possible solutions and no way to resolve them. How do we know when to get suspicious.”

”Consider the broad pattern of that ship’s activities. Look at spotter reports.” Dent the one time spy master was in the room!

”Do the fishermen and courier crews working out of the House of the Fish make such reports>?” Dent’s sister Elizabeth was interested in the problem.

”We old ask,” Dent said. “That sounds like something that would go onto a ship’s log. I think. Fishing boats going to various floating peers will not report ships seen near or at the piers. After all, Forrest’s people don’t want their identy and location reported either. If would be a hell of a way to run a business.”

Dent was having real fun for the first time in many months. Joy looked good on him.

”When can we get these papers, Oldest Brother?” This was something KG had called Dent in happier times. It sounded good to Dent.

”I suspect we could get these reports from Elder Martin. I hope he does up spotter report. Perhaps his second cousin Pristis could help?”
”I’ll write the note,” a committee member said.

Moments later she said

“Dear Pristis,”

” We are working on an intellectual problems and need to know about ship movements.”

” Do you maintain contract reports on your ship’s logs?”

” Do you get ship contact reports In your Harbour Master office?”

” We look forward to hearing back from you. “

” Best regards, Little Dent.”

”Oweta, did you sign yourself ‘Little Dent’?

”I thought you knew. For several years, after I read you were my ‘assistant mid wife, I thought you were ‘Dent Senior’. That would make me ‘Little Dent’. I told Pristis and he started calling me that.”

”This is the first I’ve heard this.” Dent was surprised.

”We called her that for a couple of years, Dent,” KG insisted.

”What other little surprises are there?”

”Oh, I suppose there could be.”

Dent glared at KG after she made that remark.

Then, in high Elve, Rowena said “parents are always the last to know, dear.”

Dent just shook his head.

”The real problem is somewhat different. Military units like pubicity and like to talk about their people. This means a person getting promoted is good publicity for the military, growth of a unit, transfer of a unit, casusltis, changes of command, movements of unit, etc. Some military units like to put out ‘we love us’ types of public notices. The problem is figuring out where these are posted? I wonder if Temples would know?”

”Then there has to be some kind of social communications we could use?
”Maybe we could invent something!”

”Good idea Little Dent! But what could we come up with? It would have to be news.”

”Stories could be fiction or real news. We could ask anyone who might know.” KG was very ernest.

”I will take your note to the Post Office, Junior”, Dent said while looking at Little Dent.

Dent gave KG a wry look, then turned and walked out with the note and with Rowena.

”Does Dent know you speak High Elve, KG,” one of Orc asked.

”He taught me High Elve.”, KG replied.

”We all speak High Elve”, the same Orc said.

It took moments to drop the letter off at the Post Office and then they went for a walk around their little city

*…..*…..*

Many miles away, at an obscure office of the War Department, Army Branch called the “Combat Decorations Branch”, a young officer reporter for duty. He did not understand why it was only going to be a three month tour. Obviously, a job this important had to be worth more than 3 months.

”Sir, Subaltern Antonio Negron reporting for duty!”

”Welcome to Decorations Branch, Mr. Negron. I am Chief Warrant William Nikols. We have an interesting project for you to work on. But first, more about you. Would you like some coffee?”

”Yes Sir.”
”What is your military experience?
”I graduateded from the Imperial War Colleg last year. I am an Infantry officer, Sir, Platoon Officer, First Platoon, Charlie Company in the First Battelon of the Regiment! I an going to the Executive Officer Position of Charlie Company. I am going to Executive Officer school when I a done with this tour.”

Chief Warrant Officer Nikols decied to give his kid the shit detail least harmful to his career. He didn’t know why the kid had been sent to Combat Decorations and it was obvious he did not realize this temporary duty was no prize. There was one job he could offer: creating the Ground Combat Infantry Badge. Creating the Badge should not be much of a problem, we have had artists create possible badges. The problems involve devising the criteria for granting the badge. Remember, we have not had very many wars but have had a number of police actions.”

”Well, Sir, there were the child soldiers of so many years ago. They should be easy to create criteria for. We have had fights with raiders from the north.”

”True, so very true, Mr. Negron.”

”I suppose I would start with someone having high level infantry skills. Then, they would simply have to fight honourably in actual combat.”

”This could be hard since our forces had endured many so called police actions and few combat actins between two uniformed militaries, tools of actual nations.”

”Soldiers killed by pirats or raiders or criminals are just as dead a those killed in stand up combat between two Armies. Sir.
”Yes Sir, I agree,” the Chief Warrant Officer agreed. “I suggest you work on this “Ground Combat Infantry Badge” but give much time to a peacetime version. Now, I didn’t say that, sir, so let us go visit with the Commander.”

The Warrant and the Subaltern spent perhaps a half hour vistiing the Commander.

”I am gong to have you attend the Advanced Combat Institute for Company XO and Commander training and if possible, the Battellion Operations Officer Corse. This will be hectic and you’ll need to do a faior amount of reding in the evening. Don’t worry, you will have classmates in the same pressure cooker as you. In the afternoon, I’d like you to work on the Ground Combat Infantry Badge and the Expert Combat Infantry Badge for those with high level infantry skills. Be hard nosed in this. I suggest you come up with selectin criteria, training ideas and material for students to read. Once you do this, go ahead the previous attempts.”

”The Commander stood, stuck out his hand and shook hands with both his junior officers and the Warrant walked the Subaltern out.

”You are the one who may get this chore accomplished.”

”Why would I be ‘the one’ sir?”

”Because the Commander wants you to. I have wanted you to succeed after I read your Officer Performance Reports and your Proposed Career Plan.”

”I don’t recall reading a ‘Proposed Career Plan’.”

”Junior Officers never do unless Senior Officers have decided said Junior Officer has the potential for a career. You have “a good chance for Field Grade and Company Command in his time”.”

His clothinb was delivered to his room and he was introduced to his classmates. The five hour mornings were spent in class and drills. He had his basic plan for the two medals in six weeks. Then, he did his write ups and finally read the previous proposals. They were good. He took this material, mixed it with his own and the Chief Warrant rewrote the whole mess. His proposals were submitted to the Army Chief of Staff. During Week Eight, the Emperor approved the “Ground Combat Infantry Badge” and the “Expert Combat Infantry Badge”.

At the Graduation Ceremonies for the Company XO and Company CO and Battellion Operation Classes, he and his classmates were awarded the “Expert Combat Infantry Badge”. It was one of the biggest days of his life.

Subaltern Antonio Negron returned to his company and found he was a marked man. Still, with the hard corp training he had endured for 12 weeks, he was able to survive.

It helped that he could exchange letters with . Chief Warrant William Nikols he was able to survive the Army politics and made Company XO, later Company CO and eventually his battellion’s Operations Officer. He later learned the previous Operations Officer had gone to the same training and his “project” had been to devise the “Proposed Career Plan” and to keep his “secret” fro Junior Officers.

He learned that all his classmates had been assigned such projedftd bvut tht onyt the bvewt had been given the Chief Warrant Officer as their lifetime mentors.

Decades later, Lieutrenant General Antonio Negron retired and after a couple of months of boredom, was offered the position of Command Chief Warrant at, ironically, “War Department, Army Branch called the “Combat Decorations Branch”. He began mentoring “his kids” that first day.

* * *

Back at Sanctuary

It took moments to drop the letter off at the Post Office and then Rowena and Dent went for a walk around their little city.

”It is so beautiful here, Rowena.”

”I know and wish we could see it together someday.”

”When I proposed the intellectual activities for the kids, I was thinking of keeping their minds busy. I was also thinking of keeping my own mind busy. Then, I got thinking of the threat potential. That has begun to worry me more.”

”It worries me too, Dent. We’re guarded by being in deep hiding. We meed to go to City Five in order to ensure the safe delivery of the coming babies of four species. I would not be surprised if Forrest and his people see a few pregnancies as well.”

”I suppose we could ask Pristis that when he visits.”

”Back to the problem of getting news and publishing it.”

”Let us pretend we’ve solved the various problems. What kind of stories would we tell? I think we need to ask Pristis about this.”

”The man subject is that of violence. Violence of soldiers, pirates, raiders from the north, thieves, angry people and even assassins. If our intelligence analysts can find something from ship movement reports and Post Officer reports, we can spectulate that units could have entered the city or village and committed crimes. It would be nice if we could colorbate this with some kind of informants. This, Rowena is as far as I have gotten.”

”We need people who can go everywhere and have gone everywhere. We need the Sublime Nation. We need investigators who can talk to people and hunt for information covertly. We also need people who can openly got about in society and investigate openly. It woul be nice to have some one as so loud that no one cold conceive of them being covert agents. We need someone like our loud Jonquer.”

”I think we have done as much damage for one day, my dear. We have design engineers working on rearranging housing and inventing more housing. We have our possibly bored ‘young ones’, as my parents would say, working o making their lives less boring. Of course, this will change when they have a crop of children to deal with.”

With that, they wodered off to see if any social activities were starting up,.. They were very good friends, were clearly a couple, were not sexually active (but thought of it() and slept in different homes.

They grieved for their lost spouses: hers lost to a very rare pancreatic cancer and his to whims of men or Gods.

This would be resolved some day…

* * *

It was the kind of quiet evening when even the Chef could be content.

@His helpers had done all he asked of them. There was a good variety of breakfast foods awaiting the morning cooks and he had hopes of fresh fish in the afternoon.

Why young Pristis Martin was bringing in fresh fish and maybe some of the delicies from the northern barbarians that so many folks were fond of. Part of his contentment was in knowing his people – and everyone who ate his food was one of his people – would not suffer from “the Soldier’s Disease”. He remembered being taught by some of those amusing and stgrange people who liked to visit occasionally that:

“A soldier’s diet typically consisedof salt meat, bread, lard, coffee and hard tact.”

He was told of long military expeditations in which many men died because they lacked what the “People of the Sublime Nation” told him was called “vitamins A and C. The treatment was food that contained “vitamins A, B, C, D and K”.

”Where, he had asked, am I to find these A and B and C and D and E and K things?

They had laughed and one had said “we didn’t mention ‘E’ but vitamin E is important as well. They they had told of the death totals from “vitamin C” deficiency. Then, what had perked up his very large and pointy ears, they had told him “fruit juices such as orange juice and lime juice and other strong tasting juices have vitain C. Just give your people fresh squeezed orange juice juice. Another had said vinagir and sour krat juice would work well. It was his pride that no one in his city had gotten this “scurvy” and no one would!”

Besides you thought, gin required lime juice and lime juice was medicine. They had also told him that the nasty quinine cured malaria and gin hid the taste of quinine. That made gin a medicine. The old Chef was proud to drink his “tripl medicine” at an old folk’s bar. It was called “an old folk’s bar” since the clients were generally old and the bar featured poetry.

Some of the younger folks there tried their hands at poetry.

It took several minutes for the Old Chef to walk to his favourite little bar. There, two of the Elders, Rowena and the new one, the one with the strange name, Dent were already drinking red wine. He walked in, made sure everyone saw him and roared (in his native Orc):

”I’m here! Bring me my triple medicine and let the poetry begin!”

Then, to his delight, the two Elders invited him to their table. He took a sip of his “triple medicine”.

Dent said in a mild voice, “You seem cheerful tonight.”

”Yes I am cheerful tonight Friend Dent and Friend Rowena! We do not have the ‘soldier’s disease’ because our friends from the outside taught me to use orange juice, lime juice, vinagir and sour krat. They also taught me that quinine cures malaria and that gin makes it possible to drink quinine and lime helps make it possible to drink gin. Also, lime is a disease cure. Yes, I feel we have the right to be happy!”

He sipped his medicine then asked “what are you Elders drinking?”

”Red wine.”j

”Excellent! Red wine is suppose to repair your heart or something. I don’t remember.”

”It is good for the heart arteries.”
”Then, I drink to your hearts, for you are both of good heart!”

Both Dent and Rowena were surprised by the old Orc cook who could speak quietly and was an intellectual in own right. Then, he ;decided to honor the Orc stereotype by roaring “Time for poetry!”

He winked at both Dent and Rowena.

The first poem lambasted obnoxious old cooks, the second praised good cooks who didn’t kill their victims and the third was a long epic poem of the rebellion against their slave masters.

The poetry ended in the late evening, with the Old Chef slipping away early for he had to be present for the breakfast. He tended to nap in the early afternoon. His wife was already asleep and would be getting up very early to start and supervise the pastry cooking for the breakfast.

* * *

In the House of the Fish, Beverly Martin was awake late worrying about getting everything ready for sending their Medical Assistants and the junior two Medical Doctors to the City Five teaching hospital. The Cities’ name of “City of Last Resort” had always bothered her. The fact that Dent and his family had been ambused in that same city truly bothered her. Still, worry did’t solve problems. She pulled warm socks on, put her robe on a chair In the bedroom and joined her husband and one little dog on the bed.

Her morning started well: it started without anyone telling her of unexpected problems such as boats taking sacctuary n their harbor, problems with the morning fishing fleet, refugees needing physical and psychologiocal help being brought into their town. The night Dent and his people were brought in still haunted her dreams. She hoped the short term memory surpression drugs would keep Dent and his people, especially Dent, from remembering that night. It was a very good start to her morning with only herr dog trhying to get on the kitchen table to eat their morning fish.

Beverly Martin entered her4 office carrying a bag with her knitting (she like to knit at noon and on breaks and and was working on baby blankets) and her lunch (she was trying to diet despite being told she didn’t need to) and didn’t notice her nephew in her “guest of honur” seat. He had a cup of coffee and she had a still steaming cup on the side table next to her favourite chair.

”I suppose you want me to sit there?”

”That sounds like a fine idea, Aunt Bev.”

”How are you this day?”
”Quite fine, quite fine actually. I read your letter that you want me to sign. The only thing missing is when we will send our Medical Assistants and two or three Medical Doctors. I would feel happy if we sent two Medical Doctors if we are going to send all of our Medical Assistants.”

”That sounds reasonable. Why are you so happy?”

”It is a nice day.”

”Yes, it is.”

”When you visit their hospital, be sure to ask them for species specific refresher training for our species.” He grinned.

”I will and why are still amused. Oh, am I gong to have to knit a baby blanket for your family?”

”Sure do hope so!”

”Perhaps I should add your wife’s name to the visitor’s list. Call her an observer?”

”Ah, more like the observed!”

Aunt Beverly stood, clicked her coffee cup against his, and sat back down. She had been hoping for another child from her nephew’s family for some time and knew Forrest’s daughter would be a happy big sister. She reached into her purse, brought out a small bottle of an illegially imported and very strong spicy drink called “ooh=zhoo” (or something like that) and put it into both their coffee cups. Somehow, they never got around to attempting any work until into the early afternoon and after lunch.

In the early afternoon, Forrest Martin checked his desk and found a note from the major officer he traded with. The note read “after a large wedding, we generally expect a large crop of babies in the coming year. How many sets of infant diapers and later larger baby diapers will you need? How many baby dresses as well? Our people dress babies in little dressed until they are wee3ne3d and not longer weareing diapers. Your Captain simply told me many when I asked how many items you will need. I will plan on you having 50 upcoming pregnancy events. Don’t worry about trying to trade for these items as my island’s Governor has declared this a quote diplomatic gesture unquote. Then there appeared the glyph this officer signed his notes with.”

Below this note was another: “I’m advised it will take perhaps a fortnight to acquire this number of items and hyaver them ready to transship these items via our floating dock. You might want to send a small cargo ship.”

Forrest drafted a note to this Captain that read “We appreciate this gift and I will have a boat at or near this floating dock starting in 12 days.” Then he signed it with his initials. Since the initials were written in an ancient Denisovans, they ay as well have been glyphs.

His Aunt made a copy of this note and it would later be put into a safe holding Sanctuary records.

A second copy was sent with a copy of the foreign Naval Officer’s note by the evening courier to Sanctuary. The courier had a small guard . The guard was unnecessary as the Couriers were detected by the External Guard just south of their city.

They had formed a Planning Committee for Housing Matterrs in the City of Sanctuary and they were less than thrilled at the proposed changes. However, being pragmatists, this committee expanded the number of rooms each family would get. It was an open secret that only one set of suites had actually be built and three families were awaiting their turn for “better housing”. It was exactly as everyone had expected.

* * *

Finally, dent called a meeting of the Elders.

”Shall I start,” Dent started with?”

No one responded so Dent continued: “Forrest Martin’s Aunt Beverly is going to lead their two Medical Doctors and thenty Medical Assistants to their training in the City Five Hospital. She has not told anyone why Pristis Martin and his wife are going to be in attendance. She did say that Pristis, as Commander of a Couirier Boat, could some additional training in appropriate medicine. Sherriff Fourston has promised Pristis would be given an appropriate escort. He wrote ‘escort’ in the Assassin House cant, which is subtle only if you know that cant. Theyu will have to figure out why Pristis’ wife is going. The two MDs should already know; she has been going for pre-nadal checks and their medical staff mayh be as gossipy as my kinfolk.”

”Including your KG?”, Rowena asked?

”Especially her.”

”The ‘Housing Committee, ah, ‘The Planning Committee for Housing Matters’ had developed a revised plan for housing the Four Poor Bastards and their wives and future children. They had better plan wisely since I suspect the two second generations will be hard to contrain when it fome4sw time for courting.”

”Our plan is to the children of two men mate and create the grandchildren of those two men. Then, the children of the other two men will mate and produce the offspring, the grandchildren, of the other two men. What if we put two of these families in one house and the other two in another of the one-time ‘master’s houses’?” Forrest spoke calmly.

”Then,” Dent asked , which two sets of Grandchildren will mate?”

”Why not the two from each house?” Thunder on the Craig asked?
”What about the stories we’re heard from avbroad of people not marrying those they grew up with?”

”True,” said Dent, “and this would mean each group would have to marry a group from another house.”

”We could ‘kick the rabbit down the street’”, Thunder said.

”Rabbits run,” Rowena said, “wine bottles don’t run. Why did you say that?”

”For two good reasons. First, I’m hungry and second, it just means ‘leave the problem for future folks’”.

”You are the future folks and we are becoming the ‘Future Folks’,” KG said. She and the others had quietly approached and listened to the meeting.

”Have you chosen a style of kick,” Ten asked.

”II favour a soccer kick,” Dent said.

”I think a side kick would be most elegant”, said Jose.

”Why not bring up this subject later,” Dent asked?

”We heard your discussion about putting two families in one big house and two in the other. We should put each family at their own end and others in between.” ‘Little Dent’ seemed happy with this answer.

”Wine bottle has been kicked. What could go wrong?” Den asked.

About twenty years later, they would find out “what could go wrong”!

* * *

After several days, the Hospital Staff in City Five accepted the student list. Pristis Martin was accepted as a student in fishing boat emergency medicine. His wife was there as an observer. The remaining medical personal were there for the intended training.

The City Five Harbour Master sent an Embassy Class Courier Ship to the House of the Fish. Forrest Martin, his 2^nd cousin Pristsis Martin and both pilots were present to help the docking. The four boarded the visitor’s ship outside the Harbour. The Courier Ship Captain took their advice and did a perfect docking.

Everyone on the visitor’s list boarded and their luggage was stowed. Their departure in mid morning was very smooth. The winds were fitful at ties and several crew expressed the desire that someone could control the winds and perhaps even the chop. Forrest made note of these comments for later give them to Dent.

They arrived at the Government Pier of City Five and they were politely put aboard carriages for the trip to the Hospital,. They had expected a heavy guard presernce which simply was not there apparently. Security had swept the approach to the Hospital and they didn’t take the usual route. Finally, no one was interested in folks going to the Hospital and there was no threat.

Leaving the cloistered and socially inbred environment of the House of the Fish was very hard for these visitors to the City Teaching Hospital. Even Dent and his family would have been much more sanguine about visiting the cityl They were unknown inside the city and no one had any interest in them. Still they did not believe…

They lunged up the front stairs and into the Hospital as if the Demons of Severn Different Hells followed them. There were no demons and quite possibly no Hells…

On the trip, the clerks representating the Hospital asked if anyone wanted to share rooms. Pristis and his wife asked for a room with a queen sized bed. A couple of the ladies also asked for a shared room with a queen sized bed. The Clerks were somewhat blaise.

The group ws escorted to an Executive Dining Room with the lists of food all would eat allowed the dining staff to ramp up. The waitresses were hired for their intelligence and their extroverted natures. The lunch went very well and all were contented.

An older gentleman chatted with Aunt Beverly and relaxed her. He told her to call him “Will” and he left to deal with both his Sheriff and Father of Thieves duties. Her was a busy man and about to become more busy.

After lunch, the entire group went to a training theater. They started asking questions:

”Shall we begin with the Matriarch, Beverly Martin. Madam Martin, how can we be of service to you?”
”I have come here to watch how you are training our people. I expect you to do very well. I am concerned with the capabilities of my medical people. We all want them to be capable of dealing with pregnancies several different species. I have great faith in our people; I want them to have great faith in themselves.”

”What type of training do you want your people to have?”

”Primariarly ob/gyn with additional training they may desire. Now is the time to ask!” Aunt Bev looked at all her people. “Ask now! I don’t want to hear anyone saying ‘I wish I had asked’. Are we all in agreement?”
There was a long pause.

”I think I’ve said all I need to.”

”Madam Martin, what do you wish to learn?”

”As much as I can. I intend to be the ‘Honest Reporter’ to our people? There are a number of questions about ob/gyn I have.”

In a quiet little room with excellent acquestics and virtually not sound leaving, Sheriff Willis Meyers Foulston asked his Seneschal “What is your impression of this Madam Martin?”

”She is a very sincere woman who wishes to gain knowledge. I believe she wants to be an honest witness to her people. I also suspect they plan on using her pregnany to determine how astute our people are.”

”Why do you think she is pregnant?”

”There are a number of markers, Father, that added together say ‘pregnant’.”

”I concure.”

”It will be interesting to learn what the various medical personal think should she submit to ‘practice pre-nadal exams’.”

”Do you think so Son number One?”

”Yes, Father, it will be.”

The remaining visitors were asked what they wanted and with answers given, the Hospital staff began formulating revisions to their training. Then, a training schedule was created and the two Medical Doctors asked what type of classroom training would be available and would there be practice pre-nadal exams and deliveries?”

The students were told they would have two days of preliminary academic training. Then, Dr. Foulston went to visit the Heads of the Woman’s Health Department.

”I have diagrams of a hypothetical human species these students could have contact with. I would like to present briefings on this species.”

”Is this really important, Dr. Foulston? Teaching these students about real species has to be far more important.”

”I would really like to teach this material!”

”We teach reality, Dr. Foulston, not theoretical.

It ws subtle but Dr. Foulston was becoming angry. Fortunately, the head MD at the House of the Fish was very wise.

”Let me see your information on these hypothetical people, please.”

He carefulluy went through the drawings and written text very carefully.

”When do you wish to present this material?”

”When it is convenient for you.”

”I think this would be good for our students to study.”

The teaching college doctors nodded in agreement.

”I would like to meet them,” the House of Fish doctor said.

”I would like to meet them again,” Dr. Foulston said.

”Shall we,” said one of the teachers and lead the way to the classroom.

In the classroom, the Head of the Hospital introduced Dr. Willis Meyers Foulston as both a Senior Medical Doctor and currently Sheriff of City Five.

”I am Sherriff as well as a Medical Doctgor. I became Sheriff as I became tired of treating and burying those hurt or killed in our city. On a different subject, I’d like to see how well you can analyze unusual breedfs of humans just based on drawings. I am going to present hypothetical face drawings for your study”
Then, he had an assistant with a projector began showing front and side views of all of Dent’s brothers and sisters. Unknown to them, there were small openings in the front wall and observers were carefully watching the faces of the House of Fish students and by the time this part of the briefings was over, they knew exactly which of Dent’s people had survived. Both the Father of Assassins and Father of Thieves would grieve later.

”Those are very lovely pictures of your hypothetical people”, Aunt Beverly Marti declared.

”Yes they are, Madam Martin.” Dr. Foulston appreciated the remark.

”Now that you have seen the hypothetical pictures, perhaps we can continue with drawigs.” He studied the group. “Perhaps you need a break. We will resume when your Aunt Beverly decided we can.”

He left and that must have been his late wife.” That Medical Assisrtantr thought Dent’s wife had died; she had not.

There were other comments and finally Aunt Beverly decided the group ws ready. No one mentioned she had drying tears as did some of the medical students. They were a somewhat sentimental people and all liked Dent and his people. One of the Hospital’s teachers sent for Dr. Fourston and his fellow teachers. They then put up detailed but generetic drawings.

”Let us begin. This theoretical species is very intelligent, displays high degrees of self control, are very frational and are believed to potentially have long to very long life spans., They are athetlitic and need to exercise to high levels. It is what they were designed to do and to be. Let us begin with…
Dr. Foulston and some of his assistants from the Medical Research Section of the House of Assassins.

”Are there any highly notable features of this hypothetical species that we should look out forf?”

”Yes, there may be. In theory, of course. It may be that stress causes an increase In their body odour. This could be controlled with certain herbs. I can have a list made up for you.”
This was said with Dr. Foulston’s approval.

They then spend three days in detailed analysis of the anatomy and phycoogy of Dent’s people. There were de3iseased they were in danger of and many they were not. Some of the students shook their heads when they would remember the class work was supposed to be in ob/gyn.

”Something odd happened when I was coming back from the toilet, Aunt Bev. I thought I saw Dent’s brother James.”

”Say nothing more of this young one. We can talk back home.”

”So Forrest is here for sailor medial training?”

”Yes, he is,” Aunt Bev agreed.

”His wife is here because she is pregnant?”

”Let us keep that as our little surprise, shall we?”

Over a two day period in which the visitors studied medical dummies of Orc, Elven, Hobbit and “the hypothetical speies:,” each was taken to an examining room in whcihy they solumelyh were introduced to Forrest’s Wife.

”This young lady has voluernterered to let you practice your prenadal examination skills on her. The Mediocal Personnel, MDs and Medical Asdsistant solomly examined her and generally said “without more advanced tests, I have concluded this young lady is pregnant.”

One “student” said “I believe she is still pregnant”.

Their teachers could only row their eyes.

”Do you know her?”

”A short while have I known her. I delivered her and have been her doctor since.”

”I hope you are good, young Doctor, wse have a crop of custoers arriving day after tomorrow.”

The next day was continuation of the same, with a change the day after.

After breakfast, the Hospital Head said to the group of students: “What good is it to be a teaching college if you can’t teach. We have been asking hospitals and medical centres and midwives in City Four and various towns if they have pregnant women willing for their deliveries to be done by medical students. They were sceptal so we changed our sales pitch. We said ‘we should have mentioned these studentrs are medical doctors and medical assistrants who are fully ceretified for child birth and are receiving refresher training., Then, we mentioned our hospital would pay all expenses and the deliveries would be free of charge. That is when we started getting reservations.”

”Reserrvations?”

”That is correct, Doctor, we have a number of delivereies starting later this morning. Shall we met our first pretnant lady?”

Over the next week each student observed mujltiple deliveries and each student dfelivered at least two babies. There was nothing qite like the notion of free labour to bring out the “customers”.

Forrest Martin was watching one delivery when he realized his name had been called.

”Captain Martin, how many babies have you delivered?”

”Three, sir, but I am not…”

”I know it has been months since you delivered a baby!”

Then to the woman about to deliver: “Young lady, this is Captain Martin, he is a…”

”I don’t care who he is! Get this over with!”

”Relax Forrest, I am help talk you through this refresher training.”

Over the next couple of hours, the woman’s husband watched as Forrest worked his way through the delivery. He later said he had a great deal of convidence in the Denovian medical doctor. Forrest signed his name on the birth certificate as the “Midwife”. Telling his people he was a :”Midwife” bought Forrest a number of drinks in the coming years.

On the final day, Aunt Beverly saw Dr. Foulston in one of the hallways.

”Did you find the answer to your question Sheriff?”

”Do you know who I am?”

”Yes; you are a grieving Father. I have heard of you.”

”How are they?”
”All 25 are grieving but they are healing. It is almost like dervine intervention. Your oldest grieves less and less and knows he can not go home. One happy thing, he has found someone, a widow. They are happy together but I probably am not supposed to have noticed.”

”I’m reinded that my Dent always was fond of Elven women, it was something I noticed from his childhood.”

”He still is.”

It was good to meet you Beverly Martin.”

I have enjoyed meeting you as well, Willis Meyers Foulston. Ah, I smell an unusual but familiar auroma. What could that be?”
She smilled, turned and walked away.

Moments later, James number Four, also know to some as the Father of Assassins, approached Foulson.

”What do you think of Beverly Martin, Father?
”She would have made a fine Grandfather [of assassins].”

”She may be; she is noted for strongly defending her people.”

Since all good things must come to an end, the spat of pregnant women ended and Hospital of City Five found itself with your Mothers expecting free care for decades to come. (This was paid by slightly higher port fees and that lead to a Harbour fee war with Cities Four and Three.) The upside was young parents who came to City Five also brought their money to the city for other items and this lead to greater sales taxes and more business for the Father of Thieves. (There were permits and hunting lisences to be issued for various thieves.)

Finally, the Hospital insisted the students from House of the Fish have a graduation ceremony for everyone. Captain Forrest Martin received his midwife certificate and hung it proudly in his office. He never delivered another baby again. The boy he delivered was given the name Forrest and later became a fine Naval officer.

It was a quiet day, with gentle swells and light winds when they sailed serenely home. The boat’s commander accepted with good humour the unnecessary advise for safely entering harbor and tying up that he got from Forrest Martin and Beverly Martin., Everyone went ashore, thanking the Captain and crew of the Courier Boat. The Courier Boat went back to sea and had an uneventful sale back home.

Pristis Martin’s wive had enjoyed all the attention and was a bit let down when it ended.

* * *

After returning home, Forrest Martin was going through his built up paperwork. He was pleased Beverly’s Assistant Secretary had done a very fine job with the required paperwork. Still, he thought, it would be very nice for his Aunt to proofread when she got back from whatever “private business” she had to transact after returning home. (This “private business” was to look at the finger paintings of her great-grandchildren.) She was hoping to avoid having to proof read the paperwork that had accumulated. She wasn’t so lucky…

After lunch with his wife, she told him about a wrecked boat some six miles or so west of town some of his people were thinking of exploring.

”So, why haven’t they?”

”They were waiting for you to return to tell them they could.”

”Well, then, let’s go look at this wreck!”

”Your children want you to check a project they are working on.”

”Great! Let us go look.”

”That will have to be after dinner as they don’t want to let you see it, they want to show their project to you.”

”That does sound good to me and what do we need for this boat visit?”

”Grab your usual boat tools and we can go when those boys are here.”

She looked across their large porch to several teenaged boys and girls who figited near the entrance.

”If there were any teenagers by the door, I would invite them inside for some fruit. We would not want them to get scurvy.”

The door opened and five very well mannered teenagers = 3 boys and 2 girls -entered.’

”Uncle Forrest, Aunt Thea, did she tell you about that wrecked boat?”

”Yes, she did. Have you explored it?
”NO. Our parent told us to wait until you came back. Will you explore this boat with us?”

”Your parents have to approve.”

”Their parents told me they could go out with you if you wanted to.”

Forrest remembered how much he liked going exploring and how much he resented adults refusing to take him out. He figured “why not”?

”Then, since your parents have approved, Aunt Thea and I will take you out. You must have life preservers, obey our orders, plan the trip when we get to this boat and take out word for it if we say it is too dangerous to dive this boat.”

The five teenagers solomly nodded agreement and Forrest knew he had been had. All five had brought their dive bags. Forrestr and Thea went to their room, changed into dive suits and they took the children to the Harbour Master Office he insisted they fill out the “SAIL PLAN” or plan of their trip.

They took out a single mast 26 foot sailboat with a main sail and jib. It was used for sail training. Two of Forrest’s fishermen nodded at him, pointed at another 26 footer of the same design and made the “SAILING” hand gesture. The children did not notice. They did not notice the snack basket Thea had made up. This featured favourites such as fried chicken legs, bread, and a honey sweetened lemon.

Leaving the Harbour was quite easy for they were headed into a gentle sea. They enjoyed working the sails and in simply the work of tacking. It seemed a very short trip to this abandoned boat yet is was over an hour.

The boat was one it’s side, wth what appeared to be a possibly a broken mast trapped in threes which were so close to the short that they’s left no beach. Forrest pulled up close to the shore and dropped a light anchor. This was to allow them to kedge off. Kedge off meant to pull on the rope attached to the little anchor and haul their sailboat back to sea. They approached the shore as close as Forrest and Thera dared then Forrest jumped into the shloow water and taking the bow line with hi, tied off the bow line around a convenient tree.

His two sailors now several hundred feet from them had dropped their sails and dropped the hook. They were waiting their chance to rescue the shore party.

”Now, remember what you were taught in Resue Class. What is the first thing to do?”

”Look closely at the stranded boat and see if there is any signs of life” all five chanted.

”Excellent,” Thea told them.

“Look for any signs of damage or signs of anything out of the ordinary.”

”Very good,” Forrest said.

”Is it safe to board”, one child said.

”I believe it is,”

Forrest said. He then walked to the little boat and stepped onto the side. The boat was on it’s side and it felt ackward to be standing this fashion. HE carefully stepped inside and lowered himself to a standing position on what was normally the ceiling of the bvoat. Just inside the hatch was a small bag dangling from a hook. He took this, looked inside the bag and was shocked to find what appeared to be diamonds. He knew he needed to take this to the House of Thieves rather than the Coast Guard. He looked into the cabin and saw what appeared to be a dead man. Somehow, this was something he was not quite expecting. He didn’t want the children to see the dead man with his cut throat and he didn’t think he wife wanted to see it either. He made sure the bag was hidden in a cargo pocket of this shorts. Then, he left the little ccabin.

It took an impressive pullup and help from one of the boys to get him out of the boat.

”What did find,” Thea asked.

”I found a dead man.” he replied.

”No really,” she insisted.

”Really, I found a dead man. I’d rather none of you looked at him. I think we should leave not and report this to the Coast Guard.” He took a deep breath. “Someone take this line and tie it to big tree. We don’t what this boat leaving shore and sinking.”

The teens did this nicely.

Children were disappointed at not being allowed to see the dead man and somewhat resented this. Forrest has seen his share of drowned men and women and wished he could forget their faces. Some were missing faces and that was even more disturbing.

Forrest waved at his fishermen making the “EMERGENCY EXIT” signs.

One of the boys untied the line attached to that tree ashore and returned to the boat. Forrest and his wife both took inventory of the people on the boat and were relieved the total was two adults and five teenagers.. They knew this would be the result but their training required them to take count.

Two of the young sailors pulled on the stern line and kedged them out, that is, pulled the boat to the little anchor, which was lifted. They raised sails and easily pulled away from the shore. There was an odd thing about their return to harbor. The sailing was the same, the sail time about the same and yet, the trip seems much longer.

During the trip, both boats had been close enough for them to talk. Forrest knew that with seven people who boat was heavier than the boat with two people. He also knew the two sailors worked sail powered boats basically on a daily basis and were fare better at picking up on wind shifts and therefore could get to Harbour many minutes before he could. So, the said:

”There is a boat settled in the water with it’s mast in some trees. Our kids tied it off to a large tree. It will stay. I’d like you to get home and tell the our Sheriff. I’d also like Sheriff Fourlston to be notified.”

@:@”Certainly,” one of the sailors. The sailboat eased off to port and then seemed to find invisible winds and rapidly left Forrest and his boat behind. When they arrived in the port, the other boat was already tied up and the local Police Chief was there. The Chief was accompanied with his one officer and his Clerk . The Clerk, a local man, had spent his working career in the Coast Guard before returning home.

None of the three had any investigative skills in crime work. They advised contacting Sheriff Foulston and asking him to send investigators. They also recommended sending a small boat with offiers aboard to guard the grounded boat.

Forrest looked at both his men and said “I’d like you to take your sailboat with supplies and anchor off near that wrecked boat. Would you mind staying there until we can get relief for your tomorro0w?”

”Paying overtime, boss?”

”Yes, Harvey, both your and Abdu Ramon get sea duty overtime.”

”Please tell our families where we’ll be Forrest,:” Abdu Ramon said with a grin.

Both men gathered food, water, some beer, and weapons and an official log book with pen and ink bottle from the ready room. The boat had pillows and bedrolls in the small cabin. They departed shortly thereafter and Harvey started making log book entries.

”Gentlemen,” Forrest said, “I have evidence I would like to share with you.”

His Aunt Beverly had finally shown up and said “save it for Sheriff Foulston, Forrest.”

Aunt Beverly wrote up a letter stating that a small boat with a dead an in it had been found 5 miles west of the House of the Fish. She asked Sherriff Foulston to send an investitive team. She got the note approved by Forrest, placed it in ther envelope and gave it a fishing boat Captain who would take the note to City Five’s government pier. There, her would deliver the note to the Sheriff Pier Guard and take the reply back in the morning. The reply from Sherriff Fourston was spoken to the fishing boat Captain who was also given the written reply. The message was “I will bring my investigative team and arrive on the morning tide. WMF”

At home, that night, Forrest told his wife what had happened. After the kids had gone to bed, he said “Something happened that I am saving for Sheriff Fourson. I found a leather bag of what appear to be jewels. I took it to protect it, I think, and will give it to Sheriff Fourston. I’m worried he will think I tried to steal it and could not keep this secret.”

”Don’t’ worry about it, dear, just give hi ther jewels. Go to bed.”

With the morning tide came Sheriff Fourlston and his team of investigators. They were escorted to the Harbour Master duty section. They were asked what they wanted for breakfast, were offered coffee and asked if they wanted Forrest Martin or his Aunt to be summonded. Sheriff Foulston just laughed and said “let them get their sleep. The dead can wait.

The police investigators dozed off; they were not used to sea travel even through they did it more than they liked to think of and needed to recover in the arms of sleep.

When Forrest arrived at his office, Sheriff Foulston walked to Forrest walked to Forrest and said “good morning Port Master Martin. We have come in response to your Aunt’s note. Shall we go to your office and you can tell us what happened.”

They walked into the office.

”Forrest, this is my personal assistant, Jetro, who will simply listen to what we say. I would like to speak with your first so you will not have this conversation hanging over you. Please, have a set and tell us what happened.’

”Very well, then. When I got home, my wife told me sailors had seen a wrecked boat some six miles west of town. No one wanted to go investigate and five teenagers wanted me to take them on a cruise to the boat.”

”Why”, Foulston asked.

”Because it would be a fun outing and they think I’m the fun older relative. Yes, that is true. We went to where we could see the boat. The boat was grounded with it’s main mast in some trees. How it could survive being turned sideways and tipped over with the mast in trees is a mystery. We approached to the right of the grounded boat. I dropped a kedge anchor and we came to a halt in shallow water. I had the boat tied off in some trees. Then, I walked onto the boat. It was on it’s side so I had to enter the boat, lower myself to where I was standing on the roof. I looked around and saw a leather bag. I took the bag looked inside it. Here is the bag.”

Forrest handed the bag to Foulston who took it without comment.

”Then, I looked around and saw a dead man. His throat was slit. I put the leather bag into a cargo pocket of my shorts and I pulled myself up to leave the boat.”

”What do you seem embarrassed Forrest?”

”I like to think I am still as strong as my men but I needed help getting out of that damned boat.”

”Do you have much experience with sudden exposure to the dead?”

”No Sheriff, I do not. Dead creatures and dead relatives but not dead strngerrs.”

”Why do you seem so nervous?
”I didn’t want you to think I was trying to steal those apparent jewels. You are a lawman with Investigators and can tell many things from jewels. You have them now, so good luck with finding truths.”

”What do you think Jetro?”

”We have an honest man who is trying to help us. He is afraid he has ‘screwed the pooch by taking the bag. I see him as a man protecting evidence.”

”But he took the bag and mentioned it to no one.”

”Investigators have taken evidence secretly and reported it; you know that very well.”

”Jetro has a tendency to tell me what I need to hear. You have done well and have committed no rimes Forrest Martin.

”Forrest, Jetro, may I suggest we all go for a decent breakfast?”

Later, Jetro said to his boss, “I think Forrest martin has calmed down. Now, the problem beome who this dead man is, where his gems came and why he was killed?”

”True and I must ask the other (he meant the Father of Assassins) for help with this mess.”

* * *

The team of investigators talked with everyone else who had visited the wreck and their story collaborated what Forrest said.

Having recovered from the stress of the boat trip to the little town, Sheriff Foulston and his investigators boarded several smaller sailboats and were taken to the site of the wrecked boat. They made their approach with one boat to the right of the wreck, one moving directly towards the wreck and the third to the left of the wreck. After observing the boat, the two boats on the outside eased up to the shore and the center boat moved next to the left hand boat. They had to pull up their center boards.

On the way in, the center boat had come alongside the boat which had been there since the day before. The two men were given a basket of warm food, a pot of hot coffee. Both of Forrest’s men said they’d not seen or heard any one or any boats. They were thanked for standing guard and told they could return home. They were later say that standing guard there had been the easiest overtime pay they had ever earned.

After the guards left, the interesting thing is that folks in the House of the Fish were paid since they had to go to places that used cash. Those in Sanctuary were living in a non-cash tribal society and since they did not use cash they were not paid for anything. It was an ancient and primitive economy system that worked for them..

The outside of the boat was carefully examined before they entered the boat. It took a couple of hours of examination before they attended to the corpse. They gave a great deal of attention to the wound. It was not the “normal” looking wound. After discussion, the forenics team, lead by Sheriff Foulston, conveined with everyone else on one of the boats for a discussion.

The junior investigator started with: “The boat was knocked over after it was brought sideway to the shore. If it had been turned on it’s side any further out, the boat would have flooded and sank. From the damage done to the trees, the mast was inserted into the trees, much like a sword that has been inseted into a target. This could only happen if the boat had been lifted out of the water and phuysicall moved. Since the boat was in the water, the boat had to have been lowered back into the water. This is evident in the damage both to the mast, the boat and the trees.

”That would suggest?” Sheriff Foulston already knew the possible answers but some members of the team did not.”
A more senior member of the team spoke next. “There are two ways this could happen. First, a rain of some sort lifted the boat out of the water. That would have to be from a ship or barge mounted crain as the trees are undestrubed. Looking at the sea bottom when we came in did not reveal any signs of damage. The bottom simply was not disturbed.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

”If you discount mysterious flying machines and we know of none that could contain cranes, we are left with an unusual possibility: telekinesis. I know this form of magic is uncommon and some believe it impossible but we all know what a wide man said?” This investigator paused an no one responed.

”'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' I'e heard that,” Sheriff Foulston said. "I also think telekinesis is possible in this case.”

”How do we determine if telekinesis was used here?"

"All I can think of is differential stress patterns. These patterns would be apparent as minute beaks or perhaps splintering in the boat. If the boat was piked up by the mast then there could be a turning mo0mentg at the connetion point to the boat. If one person were pikcing up the boat by the mast and a second person by the hull, there shoujld be different forces used and stress damage present at the connection point on the boat. Let's look at that and especially look inside the boat."

His principle assistane began to issue the appropriate orders for this. Then, deciding maters had left the "police" and gone to "House of Thieves", the Principle Assistant looked at Sheriff Fourston and said "Father, have you decided how to deal with the corpse?"

"Yes, once the other two medics and I examine the body in situ, we will have to jove him to one of these bopasts and take him to our boat. We don’t have sufficient equipment to perform the autoposy in the Fish House Hospital. He has rotted too long out here. We need to take him home."

With that, Fourlston and two of his inveestigators retruned to the boat and conducted such examination in situ that they couuld. Then, they wrapped the boty in a linen blanket which had been rendered water proof with paint and took the body to the closest sail boat. Foulston and his medical team pulled on the line to the ketching anchor and they took their little boat back to the Hosue of the Fish. The remaining team members continued detailed examination of the boat.

They returned to the House of the Fish dock and transferred the body to their boat. Then, he visited the Senior Medical Doctor and invited him to observe the autoposy in City Four’s main hospital. Dr. Mahobe agreed to do so. He had repacked his bug out bag after returning home. With permission from his wife, Forrest Martin and most important Beverly Martin went to City Five.

The equipment at the autopsy room was advanced beyond Dr. Mahobe’s belief. He was not happy to be told that highly advanced medical work required highly advanced equipment.

Dr. Mahobe was shocked when he was invited to join the medical team. After some discussion, he agreed to.

The forensics team had left the wrecked boat several hours after being left to their work. They took both little boats to the House of Fish dock. There, they wrote up reports and asked if they could spend the night in housing for visiting sailors. They first enjoyed nice fish dinners, then fine lagers and each got a good night sleep before they left on a boat which had come for them the next morning.

Their hosts in the House of the Fish had been favourably impressed by these forensic man and one was later heard telling Aunty Bev: “They are really fine people…for humans.” Aunt Beverly, who had heard similar remarks about her own people, just rolled her eyes.

* * *

The Police Headquarters in City Five had been built against a large warehouse at the rear. The City Fathers had said this was to reduce costs by the two buildings sharing part of a wall. When you walked into the warehouse, you found a building full of supplies needed for city functions and an apparently enormous bins of emergency supplies of grains. Between the back wall of the grain supply and the building wall was part of a hidden world of it’s own.

Foulston walked through a door in the back wall of his building into a hidden set of offices. There was an expert on gems who was studying the jewels.

I rear the source region will be a bit ambiguous. Tradtation is diamonds come from the deep south such as near the bottom of this contenient or some places well to the east of here. More important is the style of the cut. These diamonds were cut in the Indian subcontenient. The bag is of a very rare leather. This is where it gets very strange, Doctor. The leather came from a very large herbivore called a bison. People to the north of the Inland Sea in a place called Gaul have occasionally sent expeditions to a land well to the west of here. One expedition was lucky and wasn’t killed by any of the local governments; these people simply don’t tolerate outsiders. They brought back around two dozen very small bison and have been raising them in Gaul. This leather came from these Bison.

”I was given the test results from the cadaver you brought back. The blood test results told me nothing. This cadaver could be classified as simply Northern European. This is not someone you might expect to have these diamonds as people from the source region do not look like him.

”Is there anything else?”

”I checked the catalogs for diamonds and none of the markets have reported these subtle varities of diamonds. Who would be transporting an unknown cut to City Five? For that matter, who would know of these diamonds and therefor develop a desire for them? This suggests a private market. We do not know of such a thing. Perhaps some one with contacts In such private markets could find out? One more puzzle. Why would someone kill a courier of these diamonds and then leave them In the open? It is almost like they were saying ‘we made the kill but did not do it for your diamonds’? That begs the question of motive for the kill, who made the kill and who did the killer think would respond to the kill?”

Foulston thanked this researcher for his help and went back to his office. He had a hint of how to find the information.

* * *

In Sanctuary, Dent was walking to the building his people liked to congregate in when her became aware he was being followed. The sound of the footfalls said children and the frequency of foot steps suggested Elven children. He turns and his conclusions were confirmed. He had a tail of 2 Elven children and one teenager.

”Good afternoon to you! How are you?”

The children began talking about their day and whatever came to mind.

”Where are we going?”

”We can go visit the other smelly ones.” Children being children, they were not bashful about telling Dent and his people of their smell. Dent found it highly amusing.

In their meeting room, Dent’s people and some others had highly complicated diagrammes detailing the movements of various military units and different ships or boats.

”What have you found in the data Aunt Bev sent us?”

”We have found anomalies which have generated different hypothesis. Two hypothesis seem to be concerned with an unusual smuggling arrangement. The best we can do is merchant vessels are occasionally taking much longer than usual to make the trip from the Central City to City Three. These entrances to City Three seems associated with movements of a calvery uinit coming into City Three and then heading south into the an area just west of the Great River.”
”Who is done there?”

”We don’t know, Dent.”

”If you write up your analysis, I can think of someone who might be able to check this out. Perhaps we have a subject for magazines?”

”Magazines?” asked one of the children who had followed Dent and had quickly run out of patience.

”Who did you bring to see us Dent?”

The children went to their favourites among Dent’s people and while the children were entertained, Dent watched as his other people wrote up conclusions. Then, Dent proved why he had one been in line for a high position in Imperial Intelligence. There were subtle touches he added and explained. This material was copied and Dent took them to Forrest Martim.

”This material is an analysis concerning a strange smuggling arrangement that appears to be associated with diamonds. This link with diamonds is based on messages from a diamond sales firm to one specific Army command. Didn’t you have something to do with a dead man and diamonds?”
”Yes, and I know who to send this to.”

”Hopefully, we can get some results from that one.”

”To change the subject, how is your cousin’s wife doing?”

”Her pregnancy proceeds apace. Her many supervising doctors have held collective pre-nadals for her. We have even had visits from multiple Medical Doctors of the City Five Women’s Hospital Section. Even the Hospital Director, who is a specialist in general surgery and internal medicine has joined his ladies in making the pilgrimage to our little ‘home of the fishies’ as one of them called us. I fear she is quite taken by the attention.”

Dent’s hearing had been genetically designed to be extremely effective. From the next office he could hear Forrest’s Aunt Beverly snortl

”By the way, did I remember to congratulate you on your successful admission to the ranks of midwives. I have been a member myself for some years. Do you suppose Beverly is a member?”

”Nothing would surprise me about my Aunt. If she is not, perhaps she can observe a number of deliveries?

As Dent eventually left, Beverly gave him a large fish wrapped in some kind of cloth.

”I have delivered children but that was years ago. I don’t intend to do so again.”

”I suspect Forrest joins me in that sentiment, Beverly.”

”I put cous cous in your trap. You might like it with the fish?”

”I think our cook will like both.”

”Good and good bye.”

The trip back home took the usual amount of time. As much as Dent liked visiting Forrest and his home, coming back to Sanctuary felt very much like returning to the House of Assassins (or the sections he lived in).

In the House of the Fish, Forrest sent his cousin and a Commander under Instruction off to City Five. There, Forrest delivered the package given him to the Evening Sheriff Police Guard at the Government Dock. Sheriff Foulston had taken to putting two extra Police Couriers on duty and they took the package to the House of the Police and personally delivered it to Sheriff Foulston. No one would have dared attack these Police because they knew the Sheriff would be merciless if his people were attacked.

The criminals knew that “I do not kill” was not the same as “I do not arrange to have assassins kill”.

* * *

The women of the house of Dent were rapidly approaching their delivery dates.

There were three long hotel like buildings that had been used as housing for the Slave Drivers who had believed themselves in complete command of their hidden city centuries before. Now, various people had remodeled two of the hotels so that each of Dent’s men and their five wives had their own end. The rooms between them were expected to eventually filled with coming generations. This was causing concern for a number of people. This represented social change and social change was never easy.

Dent found himself musing on the meaning of desert. The Orcs and Elves had experimented with grasses which had the nice feature of roots which were massively nitrogen fixing and which rotted into soil. In areas with these grasses, the top of the deerrt sands and dry ancient soil had become viable farm soil. Their problem had always been getting water. With the soil moving spells, the Orcs had found the way to water freshy soil. Thus, the Orcs were bringing water up from the ancient acquafer which underlaid the desert.

In the House of the Fish, Forrest’s second cousin Pristis was very happy to certify his Commanding Officer Under Instruction had passed his practical nautical qualifications. The Navigation Board had tested his knowledge of seamanship, navigation, survival, fishing knowledge and relations with foreigners at the two Embassy Docks.

”Aunt Beverly,” Pristis said as he entered the Director’s Suite, “is our Forrest here?”

”Yes, he is and he’ll be happy to see you.”

Somehow, that was not comforting to Pristis.

”Forrest, are you in?” Pristis meant “are you officially in”.

”No but come in anyway. I was wondering how your student did?”

”He passed his practical test quite well. I’d like him to get his Command badge this week.”

The Command Badge was the emblem of those the Central Government had certified as being qualified to sail various small to medium commercial boats. It was worn on a person’s hat or on their tunic.

”Well, there is one of those hidden tests candidates find out the hard way, We got a note telling me that the promised baby stuff will be delivered tomorrow. I have a crew checking out our one cargo boat and it will be ready to go tomorrow. You and I will accompany him and make the pickup. It should be fun!”

Both lauhed knowing it would not be fun for the newly minted Commanding Officer.

”Perhaps we could ask Aunt Beverly to send him a note asking him to drop by at 8 am?”

Aunt Beverly laughed to herself for she knew Pastis’ wife was out of sorts and Pristis might not have a happy night. The note was sent by a teenager who made the mistake of wondering by her office.

Aunt Beverly would have been disappointed to learn that Pastsis’ wife wasn’t was not unhappy; she was horny and afraid that Pastsis might not be. Her fear was quite unnecessary…

The new Commanding Officer came to Forrest’s office as requested.

”Forrest, Pristsis I’ here as you requested. Is there a problem?”

”Not at all Henry. You have passed your qualifications tests and will be given your Command Badge tomorrow night. You are being called out for your first official mission in command. You will be taking the Cargo Boat out to the Embassey Dock to pick up some supplies promised to us. These are to be diapers and other baby supplies.”

”That should not be a problem.”

”Our rendenfvous should be at high noon.”

”I should be able to make this easily. Is there anything else?”

”Oh yes, there is actually,” Pristsis said, “you’ll have Forrest and I along as ship riders. Enjoy!”\

Henry, the newly made Commanding Officer, did not look happy. No, he did not look happy at all!

Henry went to the Operations Office and carefully filed a Sail Plan. The Clerk nodded approval.

”Here is the duty roster for the Cargo Boat. Will Forrest and Pristis be going out with you?”

”And they will be doing what?”

”Getting in the way,” Henry . “I meant to say ‘there will be supernumeries’.”

”How do you plan on getting underweigh?”

”I did not have time to check the wind. I came here In a hurry and will check the winds before finishing the underweigh preparations.”

”We checked the winds before going to my office,” Forrest said. He handed a sheet of paper with wind speed and sea states in the Harbour and just outside the Harbour.

The group went to the boat. It was a two mast boat with mail sails on each mast and a jib off the forward mast. The crew was already aboard and had prepped the boat for departure.

Henry briefed his crew on the expected work for the day. He then said “Forrest and Pristis are here to talk to our visitors at the Embassey Dock.

”Well, we are fully prepared for departure. The Navigation chart is on the table. I’ve written down the preliminary course when we depart Harbour,” the Navigator informed him.

Henry had the feeling he was being hazed and that the crew were laughing. He was right.

Henry had the lines taken in, set the sails and as the boat drifted from the dock, he adjusted his helm. He made an easy departure from the Harbour and a fairly easy trip to Embassy Dock. Then, he easily came along side the dock and got the boat tied up.

Forrest recognized the man who had promised the baby items.\

”We brought you some needful items for the coming ‘blessed events’ in the coming months. Perhaps we could haul these items below?”

Several crates were brought onto the Cargo Boat and taken below.

”Thank you for these items. A tribe of our cousins decided to visit and we were at wit’s end to get these items.”

”What are they going to do?”

”Their plan is to do some farming.”

”Good luck with that. We may some more items for you depending on how our trade goes.”

”I hope so, my friend,” Forrest said. “I suspect our friends from the lands westward could have found some metals. There is hope!”

Forrest knew it was illegal for this man from Sicilia to import the metals mined in Sanctuary. He was convieinced that Forrest was helping his smugle.

Then, the Northern man, whose namer wasd Augustis, sprange his surpriase:

”We hve something hour farming cousins should like. As you know, we are in a vast sea, narrow north to south and very long west to east. Thisd Great Sea becvmes narrow at the western end and few ecer go outside it sinceit is dangerous. We have had ships wonder far outswide this straight bervause of rought outgoing seazs or sharp winds. Well to the west and south is a series of islands called the ‘Azures’. People foming back frm there had told tall tales of a vast nuimbver of islands that mak what must be another conteneint. We sent ships to that contenient.”

Forrest nodded for him to continue.

”Our ships and there were ten in number, went well south before they could catch westward winds. It took several weeks before we caught trace of land. When we tied up in a rather pleasant cove, we were greeated by armed men in canoes. They addressed us in Latin – Latin by the One God – and said ‘why are you here?’ Our man replied ‘we come in hope of peaceful trade. We have some metals you might like and an interesting plant you might want to grow. Perhaps we could give you a sample?”

”What was that interesting plant?”

”We had some coffee beans we had gotten from you earlier this year, Forrest. We allowed them to board our lead ship and served them some coffee. They said it was bitter and I said it is an acquired taste. Some thing it goes better with sweets or milk. Others, like me, learn to drink it black. They then said it gave them a feeling like coco leaves – theyu did not say what coco leaves were – and thought it might be safer. I told them we have too many dangerous plants and it would be well if we did not bring dangerous plants back home.”

”I take it you were the leader Augustis?”

”Yes, I was. There was more discussion and I asked if they had any citris or freesh vegetables for trade? They asked what is citris? We offered them some limes, we showed how to swqezre them into their mouths. They thought it rather sour and asked me why we drank this. I could tell this foreigner knew why we did. Still, I said ‘to prevent the explorer disreaze. They asked for sympthoms, which I gave them and he said we have that disease too but use different plants to treat it. He then offered to give us some of his medicine plant juices and we used this to succfully make it back home. He asked why I was so concerned about the health of my men and I quoted the Eastrern Philosopher SunZu, who wrote:

“Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”

”The foreigner then agreed with me and said he was in complete agreement. He asked if we wanted to come ashore. I said no because I was afraid we could spread diseasases or get them from those ashore. He told me there was not need for worry. They had been given samples of foreign diseases centuries before. Thery had also been warned of the dangers of uncontrolled traffic with your people. I replied that my own people traded widely with many peoples but did not enter the ports of many. He said some are religious or political refugees who wish to remain unknown to the rulers of various nations. I said we obtained the metals from several clans who also wish to remain hidden. He said what could these people need? I replied they present themselves to the world in the form of a small fishing village who sell fish and seaweed to a major city of the main government. They trade refrined metals with us for various items they can not obtain from this city for fear of giving away their true numbers. I am certain they have strong friends in this city who have been protecting them for centuries.”

”You are quite wise, Augustis,” Forrest commented.

”We too have our powerful freiends in some cities, Forrest Martin, who help protect us.”

”Then, he told us we might have something for the dedicated farmers your friends must be in order to avoid having to import foods. We were invited to go ashore that evening and a more fearful and tiimid lot you can not imagine. They later told us we were a fearful lot and they aroused their pity. Pity can be good. I told him we dfid not like going ashore in strange ports; I could not explain it but told him it was that way with everyone who came aboard our boats.

”We had a fine time ashore and our en and my officers behaved with perfect decorum. One of us overheard these hosts say ‘there are limits on their free will they don’t seem to know about. Poor bastards.”

”Forrest was enjoying this story.

”The next day, they brought us a number of large books. They said they practiced a system of magic which caused illusions. The books had the theory of this magic and wrote of how to create illusions. I told them we had save friends we could give these books. They gave us two copies; one went into the safest area of my ship and the other in the safest area of another ship. We are going to give you a copy and have already given a copy to another group. We might have more for you. Are you planning on telling anyone about your visit? I expect to tell my friends in this fishing village. There Harbour Master is considered to be the ruler but he really only controls they frishing and cargo vessels and is the public face of their people to the outside world. He Aunt, called ‘Beverly’ is the real ruler. Ah, a Matarche then? She is a Matriarche who does not overstay her bounds for fear her family will be angered. He said they would be back with some;thing precious the next day. As so they were and so they gave us the magic books I am going to give you. They also gave us something very valuable.”

Augustis smilled.

”They gave us 92 varieties of a plant they called ‘potatoes’. These grow under a hand deep layer of soil. Shall we bring them up?”

”Please do,” Forrest replied.

The preious books, wrapped in water proof sail cloth, were taken below to the boat’s table and tied it there. Then, they brough a number of boxes of some kind of vegetable to the dock. Forrest’s sailors took them below deck. Henry was very picky about balancing the load.

Forrest was asked to read the instructional material written about these plants and he said he understood. Pristis and Henry and a randomly chosed sailor also read tghre material and all could explain it back.

Augustis smilled. He knew that someday Forrest Martin and his people might be giving him some of these potatoes and might even have something special from them.

Forrest finished his conversation and the other officer told his Captain Henry that is was time to leave. The other boat was underweigh from the Embassy Dock before Henry was totally cinvienced it was safe to depart.

It was an easy departure and fully routine trip back to their pier. Henry went to the Harbour Master offife to close out his Sail Plan and make an event’s report. Then then returned to the Cargo Boat and found the boat had been cleaned up, everything had been secured and the Navigator had penned in the last log entries. The Navigator put the log in it’s cabinet and the crew were simply awaiting their dismissal. It was in the late afternoon and they walked with Henry, Forrest and Pristis went to the Fisherman’s Bar where tradition required Henry to buy all a beer.

The next day, several teenagers took a wagon with the baby supplies to Sanctuary. Ther books were repackaged as “baby supplies” and the teenagers were not told what they were. Thus, Sanctuary had it’s first start at a “Compartmented Programmer”.

One child was proud to ride a “very wild horse” (actually the tamest old horse in the stable). The teenagrers liked making this trip since it took mature people. They would never know the External Guard had escorted them to and from Sanctuary.

Dent and the other Elders were pleased to take the baby supplies. Whivch included the disquised books and then there were the “potatoes”…

The “city kids” enjoyed their visit with friends and then spent the night “roughing it” in tents and sleeping on cots before going home the next day. To make it more fun, one Elven child visiting with them said “would you like to hear an old ghost story. One our grandparents swore their grandparents and their grandparents said was true.”

Everyone said “yes” and the story telling began:

The dead town was centered around a somewhat deep but dry river. When the Great River was in flood, a small duke was moved aside and a vertible wall of water rushed down the parshed river bed. It eventually poured into an underground tank. When this was full, the tank entrance was closed.

The residents of this town awoke when the Great Bell mounted on a crypt was rung by that year's caretaker. Each resident came out from the shadows to begin moving water from the river to green houses where apparently dead flowers with enormous flowers waited posed as if for an absurd contest.

The water was mixed in great vats with carefully mixed powders laid out in the desert sands and covered by a cloak of night. Some said the powders were sent by dead Phairos from their reigning throans in their halls in the afterlife. Others thought this untrue even as they returned to life for only several months a year and returned to the halls of the dead, waiting upon their Pharos and waited for the next year.

When the Members of the Sublime Nation came, they bathed in the water of the well, distilled the seeds of the dead flowers which had returned to a semblance of life and they lived in the empty houses which glowed in the sunlight and burned with black ghostly flames at night.

Even they knew fear for one of them had drank too deeply.of the Dell's Water and seemingly died of water filled lungs. They left him face down on the ground for three days when he shreekef, with water pouring from lungs.

He arose, began inhaling and in a voice whose air gurguled through the water filling his distended lungs gasped "I must go! They call to me!"

He ran from them across the desert and through villages, across deserts and into the myths of religions and ghost stories and to a place that would not exist for years to come.He was the living ghost of the Guard Externqal for a Scnctujary for those persuaded by evil…

The “Living Ghost”, he who commanded the External Guard, never got tired of hearing his “creation myth”. He had not drowned but had suffered a full immersion batheism, his lungs were fine and th gurgling noise ws quite deliberate.

For the sake of the children’s happy memories, he made a spoky gurgling noise. The children shriked and the next day, claimed they had not been afraid…

This wa much as their grandparents, and their grandparents and their grandparents had done…He was the living ghost of the Guard External for a Sanctuary for those pursuised...

Before dinner, Dent asked everyone in the work area if her could have some of their time after the evening meal.

When Dernt told his people the basic elements of rthe strange killing they sat for a few minutes berfore erica said:

" very valuable yet a bag was left outin the open?

"Yes," Dent replied.

"The body was killed in a very unusual manner, almost like someone pulling a finger thru caker frosting?"

"Disturbing but true."

"It seems like a message was being sent: we don't valuje diamonds. We are not thierves so wer dfo not want anyone to think we stole your worthyless diamonds."

"Anyone else want to comment," Dent asked.

"Diamonds are very pretty and very hard but are they anything more than transparent stones?"

"I'm told outsiders value them," Dent replied.

"Why," KG asked.

"I really do not know," Dent replioed.

"Then perhaps someone wanted to obtain something and hoped to trade those diamonds for whatever it was?"

"Physiucal items or information or hopes of obtining either or both in the future?

"What about the kill technique?"

"Either an unusual weapon or telekenetics. Telekenetics requires specialized spells. I have not heard of anything like this."

"Perhaps we should look into this," Ten suggested.

__________________________________________________________

”to reiterate, this is an interesting problem. It appears that telekinesis was used to move that boat. That is a style of magic we know nothing about. There have got to be people out there who know information we need. So, how do we advise these people of what we need without revealing ourselves?”

"How can we find out about magic?" Elizaabeth asked.

"How did we find out about the wall climbing spells?" Jose replied.

"Our teachers taught then to us," KG replied. "Why don't we ask them?"

"Teachers, how did you find out about the climbing magic!" KG demanded.

There was no reply.

"Teachers, and by teachers I mean you Dent and you Ten and your Annie! How did you learn about the wall magic>"

Dent shrugged. "I learned from Monks who were visiting from a place called Northern China. They said it was taught at their Monestory along with a few other spells,"

"Who knows these spells?"

"I think it would be schools, temples, small groups or any combination Why would they tell anyone about their spells?"

"I think it could come down to prestigue or powerr or com;petition for Nages to join and bring their spells with then."

"WEHo do wee know that could get this information for us?"

"Why not just ask,Dent," KG asked.

"Whu not indeed," Dent replied.

"Who do we ask?"

No one had an answer to Ten's question.

__________________________________________________________

”I’m thinking we could write stories about these events. I was thinking of what one of our Priests called ‘tracks for the masses’. But we need to write something much more interesting. Something much more likely to keep attention.”
”Something better than your tracts, Dent,” asked his brother James.

”Yes,” Dent agreed.

”Don’t be so agreeable Brother, your tracks are fine,” James then countered.

James had realized that Dent had been on the verge of assigning James the job of coming up with plans for news stories. Since that would be a combat or perhaps intelligene matter, he would have been obligated to obey.

Dent knew this and was amused by James.\

”Let us assume we start with a ‘general track’,” Dent said. “What then do we put in it besides the Preacher’s Message or in this case, story of a crime?”

”Why not both,” Jose asked?

”Fine then, we have a Preacher’s Message and a crime story. What else do we need?
One of their Elven cousins had wandered in and was listening.

”Why not a statement of who the Editor is and why the publication is being written? Find someone they could send letters or packages to?” This was a preseient statement as in the future their foreigtn offie would be getting letters and packages.

”So, we have a start. Now what kinds of stories can we tell? Do they all have to be true? Can we say ‘in a city far away, this happened’.”

Jose had claimed the project; Dent, Ten and KG were all relieved as they had feare the project could have ended up on their laps. That would not have been to their liking!

”Then what are the constraints? 1. There can not be any connecton between the outside world and us. (Speciation was still a distant proposal for Dent’s People and those controlling them wanted speciation to happen.) 2. There can not be any connection with House orf the Fish because that would lead to Sanctuary. 3. I’m not uncerrtian if we can have connection with City Five because they are plausibly close to House of the Fish.” Dent had spoken.

”Then, where could we set up an office? Would City Four be too close? Could we go to one of the smaller cities or towns south of City Four?” KG was pumping out her ideas.

”We have to consider this as an intelligene operation,” Jose proposed. “If we get someone in place, in some town or in City Four, do we use an outsider or do we hire in town and hope we can convience that local hire of our good intentions? Unless a worker is one of us, we will have to supervise them at some degree.”

”We would have to supervise our own people,” Ten said

”Then, too,” their Elven cousin added, “we still have to find outsiders for this.”

”It might actually be easier than we think,” Dent commented in a soft voice. “We just need to think of who ever we know that can do this. Perhaps we should spend the night worrying about this.it’s not like you have any other concerns.”

”We have serious concerns, Dent!” KG was pissed and not thinking through what she was about to say.

”You are talking to the Father of Four,, Little Sister. That was something the AllFather told me.,” Dent laughed and eventually KG laughted as well., .

* * *

The next morning, Beverly Martin decided she needed some office supplies and some other supplies. She asked Pristis Martin if he could take her to City Five. Pristis, who needed to make a mail run anyway, was agreeable to taking Aunt Beverly.

It was an uneventful trip and Pristis tied up at the Government Pier. The Sheriff Police Guard, who by now recognized Pristis as a member of the House of Thieves, greeted him.

”So, to what do we owe the honour of this trip, Mr. Martin?”

”Just the usual, Officer Colyer, a mail run and then to pick up a couple of bottles of Brandy. Also, our Aunt Beaverly decided to do some shopping. I’d like her to have an excort but a unsceen escort, to keep her out of trouble.”

”I take it she is stubborn?”

”She is the Aunt and can be very stubborn and intent on having her way.”

”I will take care of it.”

Officerr Colyer nodded at a non-descrpt looking man and this man wandered over.

”The Lady is the Aunt in the Familyu and is in town for some shopping. The Father is rather fond of her.”

”Understood,” the undercover officrer said.

When Prestis took Aunt Beverly to the Officer Colyer, he said:

”Offier Colyer, this is Beverly Martin, Aunt Beverly, this is Officer Colyer.”

Offier Colyer greeted her as he would any senikor opfficer of either Hosue of Thieves or House of Assassins or later House of Mages. He braced to attention and saluted. She replied with a firm nod and that was quite fine with Officer Colyer.

She asked for directions to the shopping area of town and Officer Colyer gave her written instructions.

Aunt Beverly was enjoyg her highly unusual trip to City Five to shop for sweets and was in a shop selling candies she knew her children would like. She was also thinking of what she could get for the dozens of children in Sanctuary. She did not erealize that by then she had acquired four body guards. She felt a presence by her.

"A familiar voice said "you dfid not strike me as being a candy eatter Beverly Martin,"

"I'm not a candy eater, Willis Meyers Foulston. A number of our children could be."

"Mine or yours?":

"Both, I think."

"If they haven't started eatint candy, Beverly, it would be best if they do not start. I can not see good outcomes from mine partaking of sugar candy."

"What am I to call you? I can not keep calling you by your full name."

”Willis”, Willi Martin Foulstoj replied.

"Very well, Willis, I shall. Dent and his people are thinking of giving themselves a sub-species name. Some were thinking of "All Father's Clan" and 'Willis' People'. Some were thinking of 'Dent's People'."

"'Dent's People' is the best choice since Dent is partially nthe parent of the rest. They live because a mutation in Dent allowed him to live. Dent would not like the idea trhat he is a partial creator of the rest." Willis Meyers Foulston was qjie adament about this.

"Very wsell, then, I will buy handfuls of candy for my people. We have been candy eaters for a very long time."

She pulled out coihnge sdhe had bought on arrival in ity Five. She had exchjange a gtold oin that she had tgottn fro a northern visitor and had gotten some gvrty highg value Imperial coinage and some very low value coinage."

She was given very exact coinage in return and did not realize the clerks had recognized her companion was the Sheriff and not one to piss off.

They spend another hour enjoying each others company before he walked her back to the pier. No one dared to bother her with him escorting her...

The rst of her day was uneventful for her but a bit more stressful for the little city of Sanctuary. They had decided on a meeting for Intelleftual Goals and everyone attended. Extra people in the kitchen had gotten the dishes done quickly but had also seen people getting in the way and the Head Chef grinding his teeth in frustration. (This had lead to the Dentist letujring the Head hef on tooth are and that was rather amusing to others…)

Dent began to speak: “We thank you for coming tonight. We have some very interesting things to talk about.The first, all 20 of my Sisters have had normal prenadal exams as do three of our Orc sisters and one of our Elven sisters. Ah, KG is waving her hand. Yes, KG.”

”Let’s hear it for the Boys!” KG lead the group in cheering the “Boys”.

One of the Orc women roared “Lets hear it for our Boys!”

Everyone cheered.

Finally, Rowena spoke “let’s hear it for our young one!”

The whole group cheered for the pregnant woman’s husband.

”Well, that was amazing,” Dent said wryly and this lead to laughter. “We have had an interesting visit from Forrest. He send several teenaged children to us with some nice items. He gave us a nice note and simply said he could not make it here.”

”Our friends up north have been trading with a group of Northern people for some time. We send refine metals tothem and they give us various items we have asked for. For some reason, they have decided to give us teasures. These northern people have sent ships beyond the mouth of the Great Sea.to some islands where they were told of people well to the west. They took a 10 ship fleet to these islands and then to a large contenient well to the west. When they arrived at this ‘New Land’, they were able to speak with each other in Latin. They gave these people some of our refined metals. In return, they were given books about a form of magic called Illusion Magic. I think we can learn this magic. We can also give it to our friends. We can spread it to the Subline Nation.”

No one said a word.

”The next item is something called ‘potatoes’. This is not the word three western people used, it is something these Northern People used. We received 92 types of these plants. I’m thinking we could plant some of each here once the the ground is prepared. We don’t have to plant large amounts of each initially and can expand the amount grown later. I later expect we could have larger fields of more popular varieties. I think we should skip Forret’s people for nowe. We definitely should give potatoes to Brother Stegg and to our friends of the People of the Valley. The good thing about this many types of potatoes is we can find many things to make from them. I suspect we could surprise those people so far tro the west.”

There was much cheering.

The Old Chef then grumbled “how can I get my regular work done is I am going to be playing with ‘potatoes’?”

”You need to teach the younger people to do your duties. It will take months before there will be potatoes for you.

”The next item is what we call ‘magic’. We use ‘magic’ as our means of gently falling down walls. Some use it to climb up walls or to do a spider dance sideways. We depend on analyzing the physics and chemistry, then using a langage to manuplate reality. We use the words in this odd language to create words which are a collection of many words and in the end, we have perraps one word that stands in for many words. Personally, I have tried writring spells but figuring out the side effets and creating walls around my words would have been a life long project. I leave it to the Masters. We need to learng as much ‘magic’ as we can! We need to learn the science behind it and how to creatre it. Our problem is getting this information.”
Already knowing the answer, Thunder on the Craigs asked: “Why does this concern you so much, Dent?”

”Because it is power that could be used against our people! We are sevenspeies you know – modified Orc, modified Elve, modified Hobitts, modified Human- Denovian, my people and those people who live in The Temple of the New Way and the People of the Valley. There are not many of us and I want all of use to more than survive! I want us to truly live!

Dent got massive chering for what was the greatest sermon he ever gave!

”We have been thinking of telling peop[le what happened to us and even you. Perhaps people could remember something. Perhaps we could make our truths into fiction stories and see if people might react to that? We were thinking of creating large tracts but with a lot less religion in them. We could give them to people to hand out, we could have copies of these tracts delivered to various places such as bars, Temples, stores, recreation centers and who knows where else. Our problem is finding how could do the donkey work far away from any connection to us.”

There were a number of suggestions but the best was from the Old Orc Chef: “Just ask that Priest, Luther Stegg or his old Priest, Brother Jonathan. They got to meetings, they go to other cities to talk, they make poor Jonathan spend so much time with people.”
The entire group was silenced by this answer.

”That is a brilliant answer,” Rowena answered. “I will write our Priests and see how they can help.”

”Then, there is the matter of the dead man with diamonds. As IU’m sure everyone has heard by now, Forrest went on a little sail with some teenager silors. They found a dead man whose throat had been slit In a very strange manner: it apparently looked like a large finger had simply ripped across his throat. Forrest reported this to the Sheriff of City Five and Sheriff Foulston. Forrest got the very strong impression the Sheriff had involved both the Father of Assassins and the Father of Thieves; both these persons apparently live in City Five. There is nothing more that we know and I don’t expect to be told anything,.”

”Why are thee magazines so important, Dent,” the leader orf the Cloverdale Hobbits wanted to know?

”Because some day some of us will emerge from Sanctuary and we need to know what is out there.”

”Why do you think it could be dangerous, Dent,” asked one of the Elvfen women?

”We neee to know what threats and what opportunities are out there is we are to survive and keep our people safe.”

For that brief moment, everyone saw the person who had been in training for a high position in the Imperrial Intelligence Corps. It looked liker the Dent they knew but with significant differene. This Dent would disappear quickly but the memory of the “True Dent” would linger.

* * *

Far to the East, in the Central City, the Emperor was holding Court with his military Command Staff.This staff consisted of the Chief of Naval Operations, Commanding Officer Marine Corp, Chief of Army Operations, and Coast Guard Commandant. The srenior flag officer of each brach was present with their civilian leaders. Waiting being each pair was their civilian and military backup staffs. The Emperor claimed he did not need a staff to back him up; he clearely forgot the Armed Forces were a major part of his backup staff.

Beforee the starff meeting, the Chief of Army Operations and the Chief of Naval Operations had met in the Senior Officer Staff Lounge.

”Bob, it is time we propose a Combat Badge for combat veterans and another for Expert Infantry who’d not been in combat.”

”Has it been a generation already?” Both laughed.

”Yes, it has. I wonder if the Emperor rememberes the last time?”

”I hope not. It was unpleasant. But the timing is good Elbeert. We have been holding off on a c for several years. We didn’t want to present it before you had your latest proposal ready.”

”Well, propose it then Bob; I will back it.”

”Thanks Elbert. I am planning on supporting your proposal.

They flipped a coin and the winner went in first and was followed by the “loser”.

In the Imperial Dressing Room, the Emperor stood wearing a formal Suit. His dresser helped put his robes on over the suit. His Imperial snoop waited until the Emperor said: “what have my ranking soldier and sailor had to say?”
”Sire, the Soldfier is going to propose an infantry badge for those with and without combat erperriene.’

”Has it been a gerneration already?”

”Yes Sire, it has. The Sailor is going to propose what I’ve heard called a ‘ship driver badge”. Both have professe the desire to support the other’s proposal.”

”How do you think I should decide?”

”Approve both for the good of the moral of both servies. Also, the requirements force standardization of expected qualifications.”

The Emperor nodded to his staff and said “let us get this metting over. I still have a meeting with the Grandfathers of the House of Assassins and of Thieves. I want to know if they have determine who attacked the Grandfather’s children. I thought he had great security and I am sorely bothered these attakers were successful. I want the Great Houses to be internally safe.”

The Emperror left and his Imperial Snoop, who also served the Grandfather of Assassins thought “he really did not order the kills!”

Upon entering, all stood braced to attention. The Emperor marched to his throne. The two military Chiefs had been waiting with their civilian chiefs and the meeting began.

In due course, the Eperor looked at his Civilian Army Chief. “Does thr Army have any new business?”

”Yes, Sire, we do. My Senior Generral has proposed Combat recognization badges for both Combat Veterans and those who are very well trained. I recommend approving both.”

The Emperror looked at his lawerrs and staff Generals.

”Do you concure?”

”Yes Sirel”

”Does the Navy have any new business?
”Yes, Sire, we do. My Senior Admiral hyas proposed a Ship Handling Quallifications Badge for Commisioned Offrers and Chief Petty Offiers. I recommend this badge be approved.”

”Could this Naval Badge be extended to the Coast Guard?”

”Yes, Sire, it can be. We had not pesented this badge and it’s requirements to the Coast Guard Commandant.”

”Be do so.”

The Emperor looked at this Civilian Military Minister and his Military Chief Officer.

”What is your recommendation?”

”We both agree the Army should get their qualification requireents and badges; the Navy should get their qualification requireents and badges; the Coast Guard should have the chance to consider Navy qualifications as modified for them and should consider a Coast Guard specific badge.”

”How long wold it take for the Coast Guard to review this material?”

”No later than the end of the work day, Sire.”

Looking at his Publicity Minister, the Emperor said “I anticipate the Coast Guard either accrepting what they are offered or accepting with the caviet of making needful changes. Kindly create a publicity statement for signature. I would like to sign this today but I am prepared to wait for two more days.” Two days was an arbutary choice.

There was a paused.

”We ajoirn for an hour and will resume this meeting then. Take whatever rest you may need.”

The court stood at attention until the Emperror had left and then they briefed the Coast Guard Commandant on the material he ha not expected to be presented with. As expected, the Coast Guard Commadant and his Civilian Leader accepted the qualifications and badge. When the Emperor resumed his meeting, he was told and announed a speech accepting these badges.

The Emperor sent out a proclamation telling all about the new warfare badges. There was also statements about Veterans being possibly qualified for retroactive award of these metals. However, this statement was one of many and went to government offices such as Post Offices, Military Offices and Harbours. Only a small number of the population had served in any of the Armed Forces as they were made up of the better educated and simply did not draw on the population outside the larger cities. To peasats in hamlets south of the large cities and lessor cities bordering on the Great Seas or just south of those cities on the Great Sea, the Armed Forces were societies made up of near nobels and no one peasants ever had contact with.

None of the Armed Forces ever said they served to protedct the peasants of the Agricultural Poverty Lands (APL) south of the major or “standing cities”.

Eventually, Colonel Luther Steggs, Army, Retired, was sent notication.

In the Government Office of City Five, a senior Clerk was working his way through the received correspondence and was reading in a somewhat bored manner the notification of an Active Service Award. His interest picke up when he read and reread the “and previous Active Service” cavete. A clerk in the reecords Section of the Armed Forcwes Vetrerans Agency had been keeping listrs of Veterans – retireed and discharged – and had made lists. He began to read down the list of those deemed worthy of receiving the medal. Among them was “Paladin Colonel Luther Stegg, Retired” and “Private Soldier Jonathan”. He quit reading at this point and went to tell his Battellin Commander of the Heroes living in their area and gave him the list.. His Commanding Officer, Colonel Tim Warbler, was quite interested in these medals.

The Clerk then began reading the list of Navy or Coast Guard Veterans deems worthy of receiving the Ship Handling Qualifications Badge (he noted three people in or near City Five who qualified.). The Clerk then wenty bavck to his Colonel and handed him the list. Colonel Warbler was also interested to read the name of “Martin, Forrest City: House of the Fish”.

Colonel Martin then summounded his clerk who walked in with a government order form.

”Please order ten of both Combat badges and ten of the Ship Handler Badges.”

The Clerk handed his Colonel an order form already filled out for the requested items. He knew his Colonel very well.

”Thank you, George”, Colonel Warbler said and signed the form.

It took two weeks for the turn around from the Master SupplyDepot in City Three. Then, after notifying Colonel Wabler of the requested item’s arrival, he wrote notification letters to Forrest Martin, Lieutenant Commanding, Imperial Navy and Luther Stegg, Paladin Colonel, Emperian Army Retired” and sent them (once signed). The letter to Stegg included his offer to award Jonathan either the Ground Combat Infantry Badge” or the “Expert Combat Infantry Badge”

The letter to “Forrest Martin, Lieutenant Commanding, Imperial Navy” was intercepted by by his Aunt, Beverly Martin. It was very nicely written and had an offer for Colonel Martin to personally present Lieutenant Commanding Forrest Martin with the Ship Handling Qualificaitons Badge. (A drawing was included.).

She wrote back, identifying herself as his Aunt Beverly and said she would love for Forrest to receive this award. However, she wrote, it would be nice if Brother Luther Stegg could be there to witness this presentation. It would also be nice if Brother Jonathan, sometimes called Brother Jonathan Stegg for he disliked his real last name, could be present as well. Beverly aid she had talked with Forrest’s wife and they had decided to make this a surprise. She offered a date 10 days in the future as suitable for the family.

This letter went out with the Post Office mail the next day. Aside from letters to those “noisy bastards in the Fisherly Department”, they simply had no need to mail letter away from their little town.

Colonel Martin replied that same day saying he would contact both gentlemen and ask them to attend. Colonel Martin rode his favourite mule to the Temple of the New Way and asked to speak with Colonel Stegg.

All smiles, Brotherr Jonathan excorted Colonel Warblerr to Brother Stgegg’s office. The three men sat down with coffee.

”The Emperor has come up with a badge for ship driving officers called the ‘Ship Handling Qualifications Badge’. It was remembered that Forrest Martin once worked his way up to command of a medium attack boat and held the rank of Lieutenant Commanding. He was iin one combat action during which he protected a cargo boat from violent pirates. Other than that, he acted to protect shipping. He received a number of commendations and early promotion to Lieutenant Commaning. It is almost as if this badge was designed for him. In 9 days, his Wife and his Aunt are planning on having me attend to give him this badge. His wife and Aunt both want you and Jonathan to attend with your wifes. I’d like that; I think family should attend such awards ceremonies. I plan on bringing my wife as well.

Brother Luther Stegg looked at Brother Joathan who said “I’d like to go and I believe my wife would as well.”

Brother Stegg looked at one of the Temple teenagers and said “please invite his wife”. The child nodde and ran off looking for Jonathan’s wife.

Moments later, Jonathan’s wife arrived and greeted their visitor.

”Please explain about these two medals.”

”Yes, Ma’am. The Ground Combat Infantry Badge is for those who took part in combat. The Expert Combat Infantry Badge is awarded to those whose physidal fitness, thir combat skills training, their emergency medical skills and other aspects of infantry work are or were of the highest level.”

”I will not wear either,” Jonathan stated.

Colonel Warbler simply nodded gravely. Brother Jonathan was not the first to reject the Expert Combat Inrfantry Badge.

”They are not the same thing,” Colonel Warbler said.

”I simply cannot wear them.”
”Jonathan, they do not represent the same values,” Brother Stegg said.

”I can appreciate what you are saying. Perhaps you see the Ground Combat Infantry Badge as a reward for violence?” Colonel Warbler spoke softly.

”Yes.”

”The Expert Combat Infanty Badge is meant to cap off a period of intense peacetime training.” Colonel Warbler knew when he was beaten.

”Thank you, Colonel.”

”Perhaps I can leave both badges with you, Sir. You have qualified for both, Colonel Luther Stegg. With your permission, I will take my leave of you.”

Colonel Stegg walked Colonel Warbler to the front door and said “be patient my friend, he might come about.”

Colonel Warbler rode off thinking this had been a wasted trip and that he would never award either medal to either man. He was proved wrong. When invited back, he awarded both medals to Colonel Stegg and the Expert Combat Infantry Badge to former Private Johathan Stegg. He and his wife had a great time!

In Sanctuary, the various “working groups” came up with ideas for what should go into their news tracts. They presented them to the Elders.

”Our best idea is to have people read different stories about city events. These can be about crimes, myths, police crime reports. There will have to be letters to the publisher. Perhaps moral lectures? Perhaps requests for people to report events. We will need an address for readers to send letters to. We will need at least one editor n an offie and a clerk or maybe two editords. The problem is who an we get? Another problem is where can we put this office?”

”We will need people who can give away our story tracts,” Ten suggested.

”I don’t think giving them away would work very well. If people gt them for zero amount of moey, the will give them zero amount of care. I was taught that people only value what they have paid even a small amount for. Besides, we will need money for the various things we will need to buy. We need someone a lot more worldly than we are,” Dent said.

”What about Forrest and his Aunt? Aren’t they more worldly?”
”Good question KG and let’s ask him. Perhaps our best choice would be Brother Stegg?”

”We can ask him to come visit in about a week. They are having some kind of event for Stegg’s old Army buddy, Colonel Warbler. I wouldf like to learn what Luther leaned at that Religious Convntion he and Jonathan and their wives went to in City Three. He said we would be amazed.”

”Does everyone remember the store we robbed when we fled the House? It had bilateral symethry with counters running the length of the store several feet from shelves full of boxes or bottles of items to buy, There were kegs of items such as nails, salt, flour, riceand what ever the owner thinks will sell. At the back on one side is a table where the store keeper stack,s items to be bought and where the totals are written down and added up. We could encourage people to put a little gathe4ring place on the other side. Have a table, chairs, and racks with our news tracts. The nice thing is we could have friends who would encourage others to write these tracts besides us.” Dent was clearly having a vision of a happy future.

”We will need to get away from the idea of ‘tracts’, Dent:” Rowena said. “Tracts have too much connection with religion and I know ther are multiple religions ‘out there’.”

”True,” Dent aditted. “One of the problems law enforcement faces is telling the difference between cults and religions. Personally, I am not sure how to tell them apart. I don’t like the idea of laws enforcement monitoring churches and Temples to study their beliefs and activities. I don’t’ trust them.”

”Do all of you feel this way, Dent”, Rowena asked.

”Yes, I believe we do. We were raised by people who had to avoid law enforent for many reasons.”

”Then that is a common fear among the Orc and Elven population. It is probably a common attitude among the Hobbits although I wonder if they have processed their experiences enough to have some bone deep beliefs. We shall see.”

”What about ‘magic’,” Jose asked.

”I’m thinking that asking various Mages for information about their ways may get us information. Suggesting theyh form schools could get schools formed. Schools of ‘magic’ would be good to accumulate ways and means and conentrate ability. Also, they would be easier to visit. That is, they would be easier to invade and I suspect the government and the Houses could do that.”

”We need people who can go everywhere or at least to more places than we can and find out stuff. We also need people who can go into places while seeming to be harmless.” KG was musing aloud.

“Perhaps we should ask someone who may already have the answers?”

”Then, I will write the All Father and ask about this.

eDent wrote him asking this question and got a simple reply: “Patience my son.”

Getting His Water Wings

Colonel W. Asked himself a simple question: Why am I, a land officer, being asked to put a Navy Badge on a former Navy Officer who is apparently the manager of fishing operations in a fishing village? "Why not", he replied to his self. Who else do we have to do this? Are there any senior Navy or Coast Guard Officers who can stand in? He knew of one Naval Officer who even worked in his building. He called for his office brain: Senior Clerical Servant Mohammad Kaddafi.

" Come in Sergeant, I need some information. Who is the Senior Naval Officer on Active Duty in this District? "

"That, Sir, is the junior Naval Officer Jean-Michele deGall. He is an Engineer and has a team of Naval NCOs who work in Navy and Coast Guard ships. They say he swings a mean hammer and is working off old grudges. His oldest two NCOs know his mood based on the collateral damage he causes during his repairs."

"How do you know this?"

"His senior NCOs tell stories at the Monthly NCO Luncheons, Sir."

"Do you tell stories about me?"

"Never Sir, you are not funny."

Colonel W. Was non-plused and decided to say nothing. This would later be called unexpected wisdom from a Senior at Senior Officer during an NCO monthly.

"Can this Lieutenant deGalle award that Navy Badge to a former Ship Commander? That sounds off, but I have to ask."

"The best answer, my Colonel, is both 'yes' and 'no'. As an Active Service Officer, he could. However, he did not survive his initial Ensign Sea Tour. He got sea sick often and came close to quote dumping the fucking boat unquote according to the Sailing Master who saved the boat from going on its side. His Captain had to request the help of a Civilian Cargo Boat. This Cargo Boat towed the Naval boat into Harbour where damaged rigging was replaced. This is still a case study of what can go wrong when many factors conspire against an officer."

"Who was this Cargo Boat commander?"

"Forrest Martin, then Assistant Harbour Master of the House of the Fish."

"Awkward, it would be awkward for him to award this Naval Badge to Forrest Martin."

"Indeed, Sir, it would be like a Carvery Platoon Officer sent down to the Infantry for being unable to sit a horse being asked to give an Army Award to a former Calvary Commander."

"The former carvery Battalion Commander shuttered as his former Calvert Battalion Master Sergeant. Both had been medically retired from the Calvert due to excessive physical damage.

A whiskey struck the Colonel and he said "Why not ask Colonel Stegg? I believe I have read Guard reports of Mr. Martin going to the Temple of the New Way."

"I am a member of his congregation and will ask him if he and his old soldier would like to pin this badge on Forrest Martin."

Somehow, no one told Lieutenant deGall about the Ship Handler Badge. He was eventually transferred to an Army Construction Unit where he spent years constructing military buildings and gradually forgot he had been "Navy".

* * *

Brother Stegg knew it was a great sermon when Brother Jonathan managed to stay awake through it. Brother Jonathan's singing was on key or close enough to it and the post service good smelled good. Everyone regarded this as a very fine service. They figured their God's Son would have pleased. (They were right.)

After the service both Luther Staff and Jonathan removed their Church robes and were wearing their formal tunics.

" Brother Luther, " the Old Sergeant began, "that was a very lovely service. I noticed no distracting sounds and that was good. I did notice you have your Combat Badges on and Jonathan has his own. I'm glad you convinced him to wear his."

"It took some emotional arm twisting, but he finally agreed to wear it. Where is yours? "

"It seems wrong to tell my Colonel that both of us are authorized for both. It strikes me as glory seeking. "

"It is not", the retired Colonel Luther Stegg replied.

Colonel Stegg sent the Mayor of City Five a note about both his Colonel and this Senior Sergeant being eligible for both Infantry Badges. Colonel Luther Stegg in full dress uniform awarded Colonel W and his Sargant both badges. The most ausing thing is that neither had read the awaree list well enough to realize they were on the list. This was rather perplexing bnuty stranger thing can happen,.

Then the two Priests and their wives went to the Courier Boat along with the mail back to the House of the Fish.

"Pristis, were you able to arrange for Forrest to be in town tonight? I'd like to give him a Naval Award? "

"He will be Brother Luther. I don't know what Aunt Beverly told him but the whole village will turn out nicely dressed. I am bringing figs and freshly pressed Olive Oil. I am also bringing aging meat from cattle which died without a name. " He rolled his eyes. "That means we can eat it."

They boarded the Courier Boat with pieces of mail some of the children were sending to various people in Sanctuary especially KG, Little Dent and Dent. They had a fine trip back home with a steady heel to the boat and constant winds. The guests were offered the chance to fish off the lower side of the boat and actually brought in some decent fish.

Forrest Martin was present when his Courier Boat arrived and was a bit puzzled at the boyant atmosphere of the guests. None the less, his Aunt Bev had arrtanged a fine dinner for the village and then a speech by Brother Luthjer Stegg and possibly Brother Jonathan.
The guests were lodged in what passed for fine quarters in the village and they changed clothing. The Brothers looked fine in their Priest’s robes.

The dinner was outstanding, the variety of drinks fine, the desert outstanding. The Orc chef and his wife had come up from Santuary; he was a truly outstanding Chef and his wife a superb desrt Chef.

The entertainment featured some singing and instrujment playing. Then, both Brother Jonathan and Brother Luther Stregg left saying “we will be right back”.

When they returned, Aunt Beverly said “Brother Jonathan has decided to face his past.” She helped him take his robe off. He stood there in his Private uniform. Brother Luther stood while Aunt Beverly helped him get his robe off and he stood in his Paladin Colonel Uniform.”

”The Governmenrt has decided to award old Soldiers and toight we award our Private Johathan Stegg. Jonahhan long ago gave up his birth name and told me he wanted to take the family name of Stegg. We are very proud to have Jonatghna officially a member of our family.” There was much cheering. “Private Jonathan Stegg was a boy soldier. He did not have a choice in this matter. Our Jonathan has always been a hard workingperson. As a yhoung man, he knew that sujrvival coujld depend on just how well he was able to do his work. Thus, Private Jonthan excelled at everything he did. The phuysifal fitness tests had minimum passing levels, passing legels, excllentpassing levels and truly outstanding levelsd. There were top tet levels because they have to be. Our Private Jonathan Stegg exveed the top legels of all required and has been one of the most fit people I know! He also exceeded in all combat and soldier relatred matters. Thus, finally, he was given a very just reward. Our Jonathan was awared the “Expert Combat Infantry Badge” I will now pin this award on Private Jonathan Stetgg’s tunic.” This was done. “I will also do something long over due: I promote Private Johathan Stegg to the rank of Full Corporal!”

Privatre Jonathan Stegg did not expect this and began to weep,.

”Now, let us talk about the traitional ‘Local Boy Made Good’. I refer to Forreest Martin. Many of you may not realize that Forrest graduatuated from loal schools and attended the Sailing Institute in town. He graduated from this fine Institute and began his career as a Naval Ensign. He demonstrated an excellence at Navigation, ship handling, Naval Engineering, safelty handling his ship In company with other vessels and In being able to do so in inclement weather, at night, in harms way. He rapidly advanced to Command of Naval Courier Ships and Cargo Vessels. He also demonstrated the ability to deal with offiers and crews from the quote barbaric lands to the north unquote. Somer of thwer senior OPfficer told him that our Forrest Marin did not act like qjuote one of those savages from the feep south contenient unquote.”

He paused while Forrest’s rerlaties cherered him.

”Now, if Forrest coud stand next to me.” Forrest moved next to Luther Stegg.
Forresrt moved into the position of Second Offier in his third year of active service and had one of the hardest jobs in the Navy. He was responsible for training everyone, running the ship for his Captain and doing all the record keeping. He exelled at everything. I know this since I was shown his ‘Offcier Performnce Reports’ and his entire five year Naval Career was full of the highest marks. At the start of this Fourth Year, Forrest Martin was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commanding of a Cargo Ship. He held this position until he asked to be taken off active duty to resume his duties in his home town. Forrest was put in reserve status and could easily have been called back on active duty but has been lucky. He has not been realled.”

Colonel Stegg then paused while his listeners cheered.

”Then too, I have heared that a Navy junior officer was out tryintg to anurever his ship. IN whast is still discussed as a nearly impossible accident, this very junior offier nearluy caused his ship to ca[size. This resulted broken lines and broken masts. The shjp Forrest was on, a boat of the House of Fish, was there and saw the accident. Forrest was told by his Uncle to take the Naval Ship under tow and take it into the City Five Harbour. He did so. That has not been forgotten!

Colonel Stegg began clapping and cheering; his aufdience followed suit.

”Eventually, this lead to Lieuentant Commanding Forrest Martin being awarded the ‘Ship Handling Qualifications Badge’”.

Colonel Stegg attached this Badge to Forrest’s tunic.

The entire audience, which included visitors from Sasnctuaruy including Dent, Rowena, Thunder on the Craigs and his wife, the Chef and his Wife and several other visitors lined up to shake Forrest’s Hand, clap hm on the shoulder and otherwise express their apprefiation. Forrest’s daughter tried to keem up late asking about his “Navy Life”.

* * *

newThe next morning, the visitors from Sanctuary returned home along with both Brothers Jonathan and Luther and the entie Medicaol Staff of House of Fish. It seemed the medical staff dfecided they should onduct penadar exams and the various Dent humans, the three Orcs, and both the pregnant Elve and HJobbitt. As usual, it was a pleaant trip with the group in wagons with soft seats. Even sdo, Brother Jonathjan was kept from sleep by several children who were going south to visit friends. It also helpedf therir 10 day workl schjedule included 2 dayus off and the two day break was starting.

newThese any noisy children also kept Brother Jonathjan from dozing off.

newThe lunch was surprisingly good despite it being made wsithout the supervision of eithr the Chef or his wife. This pleased them as it meant they were closer to retirement.

newThey decided the Brothers cold tell ereruyone about their Grat REeligious Summitt in Cityu Four after lunch! This was done in the Great Temporary Temple. The Hobbitt artists with their photographic memories made nie sdtches and even a few water colour paintngs of this and thsoe were looked at centuries later.

newBrother Stegg began with : "Good afternoon my friends! Yo0ui will be happy to know the life of religions is good and healthy in the Cities, town and hamlets of the northern portion of ouir contenient. We even had visitors from the Government of the Vatican. Many of us still hold grudges fro trhe rtime of the attrepted conquest of our lands but through the Grace of the One God, they have diminished. (The Orcs and Elven had their own religious faiths but diod not mind teh Faith many adhered to.) There were 15 differetn Religious Faiths represented. We spoke of the isolaton we in teh far west have experienced. By far west, they think we mean south and east of City Four. They also spoke of disturbing reports. Perhaps my Brother could continue:?"

newBrother Jonathan nodded in areement. "there are odd forms of what could be called religion bordered by a line drawn souitheast of City Three. There are reporrts of strange rituals, odd Godsa dfeandeding bloody sacrafices, and forems of magic we hafve not seen. Some of tehse forms of Magic require the heop of unknown Gods and Demons. What we do know is there are alsdo reporets of threasujres of gold and silver and rare woods and other stuffs. From the conversation and maps, yes I said maps, there is no interest in lands near us or the People of the Valley. As long as we remain silent there is hope for our future safety. We learned of interesting magics we need to study and use. This, I fear, is a subject that a 'younger mind' is better equiped to discuss. My Brother?"

newBrother Luither oved to the Center Stage: "Did I hear Brother Jonathan say something about 'younger mind is better equip[ed to disuss' Yes, I thought he did" and looked at the nodding heads in his audience. "I'll have you know that Brotehr JHonathan ontributed muich of the material I am about to discuss. We think of our civililzation of having ther six Standing Cities jhust south of trhe Great Sea. Clustered to their west and more important to their south are trowns and hamlets. Our Temple is the size of many hamlets. Unlike those south of Cities One, Trwo, and Three, we ahve close relations with the authorities in City Five and they have good relations with the authorities in City Four. If we need help, it is easy for us toe get it from Cith Five. We also have four other hamlets near us who will respond with force if we need to ring our emergeny bells. WSe an relay help rquets for other ities as well. CLosest to tghe Great River whih runs south of the Cwentral Cikrty are many old towns and near them abandoned plaes. No one knows who or what lives in these abandoned plaes. They are the remnants of old wars, of old city states of old criminal or rligious hide outs. We asked for informaton on these plaes and on expeditations going to explore them."

newA desparetly waving hand from the audience was finaally reognized. "Yes, KG?"

new"What did you say to disuage them from coming here?"

new"I explained we are i a farming area with dead deserty to outh souith and east. I told them we have good contact with police and soldiers form Cityh Five. I was occassionally called "Colonel" as well as "Brother' and stated to several that I had once been in the Army. That seemed to convine any would be explorers of our miolitary protetions. And there was more. Brother Jonathan an tell you about that!"

new"It seems ther are stories of violent ghostrs roaming the deserts and vbrreen lands. These beings are scaring off unwanted visitors or een killing them."

newHe tilted is head to the ceiling, waved his hands and made moaing souinds. Some of trhe External Guard, who made a practice of partolling the public areas of Sanctary added real moaning souunds which would have been freightening had they not been able to blame the fear on Brother Jonathan's noise.

new"But, back to other matters. There are forms of 'magivc' being praticed across the foreign lands. Some of this 'magic' is being practiced in Temples and some in schools and some in homes. There were even hamlets bragging of their magic; some of these places taught as many as ten to fifteen spells. Tjhe ineresting thing is all this 'magic' is basded on natural sciences. We heard of 'schools' breaking 'natural science' into physics, chemistry and mehanics. We lobbied for copies of their natural phiulkosophy and all thematerial on their spells. I said we neeed to learn to create spells ourselves. We were given a grat of materrial. Then too, they told us how they are able to get material printed." He paused.

new"There is a company in City Three which produces printed material fore theGoernment. In private, they told Luther and I they are part of Imperial Intelligene,. I explained we wanted to poublish trarts about drie3s, history, stories and other items. Theyh said to send our information tracts to then to be published. they rather deliatelyh suggested they might need to work on our material to ake it more appearling to the public. I agreed to this. "

newDent spoke up. "The threat level is less than you thiink Jonathan., Imperial Intelligence wsorks i a serries of small shiop. Yes, they all themselves 'small shops'. they receive their fundfing through a broad sert of rrquests from the Imperial INtelligene Headquarters. Regardless, they do not ask what the money is to be spent on. They fear their lines of communicaotns are frail and easily penetrated and depend on the inegrity of thosse in the cities. It seems to work. "

new"How does this 'Central Headquarters' know they can depend on thier souldiers in the field, Dent." Brother Luther, the retired soldier, scrowled.

new"Because the field people tell them so!" Dent spoke in a jovial tone; he joined in the general laugher. For years afterwards, this was called Dent's greatest joke.

newThe irony was he had been dead serious.,

* * *

newLater that day, all the pregnant Dent humans, Orc and the one pregnant Elve and one Hobbit and their husbands gathered together for a very private and veryh serious eeting that wold change the history of their people and forge ties theyh had not expected. Later, they wold tell their cousins in the Houser of the Fish.

newDent was walking towards the Temporaryh Temple when he saw Rowena.

new"Good afternoon, I think. My kin folk just summunded me to an urgent meeting."

new"I was cutting flowers in the greeenhouse when one of my daughters summoujnded me to an urgent meeting. I wonder waht our kinfolk feel is so urgent?"

new"So do I. I don't like surprises, Rowena!"

newTheyt walked into a side entreance to the Temporary Temple and went to where the laerge table. trhere, rtwo young husbands were holding chairs for both. They sat and the two young husbands returned to their chaIrs.

new"We have been thinking," KG said.

new"And talking one of the three Orc women said."

new"We're all pregnant,:" Annie, one of Dent's sisters admitted.

New"We're worried," several of the women blurted out!

new"My brothers and I are also worried," one of the Orc said. He incluided the Dent humans and the Hobbit among his brothers.

new"We know that," said Rowena. "This is a difficult time for all of us."

new"Are you truly willingto help us? Are you tgruly willing to cme to ouir aid?"

new"Yes, we are," Dent stated firmly,.

new"There is an Orc custom at delivery time. The husband holds his wife's hand and her parents are there. Her parents are seated in the delivery room to offer hope and be a calming presense."

new"That is a new custom to me. It makes sense," Dent said.

new"I am in favour of helping new parents wheneer I can.

new"Dent, will you be there for all of us," one of the young women asked.

new"Rowena, will you also be there for all of us," one of the young husbands asked.

new"Of course I will."

new"This means you are now the greandparents of our coming babies. Are you sure your wish to do this?"

newDent and Rowena looked at each other while the youg parents to be waited a bit fearfully. "Yes," he whispered. "Me too, she said." Then to the waitijng young ones, she said "Dent and I are the Grandparents you want and need."

new"Thunder on the Craig and Two Cats Standing (his wife) already know this. We are going to ask then later."

newTo the surprise of everyone, Thunder and Two Cats walked over.

new"If you wish,Thunder and I will agree to be the other set of Grandparents," Two Cats stated. "Thunder and I were sitting in the Nave reading and did want to disturb you by standing up."

new"Then, we have our two sets of Grandparents," Ten said.

new"We will always be there for you and your children," Dent said speaking for all four Grandparents.

Illusions

Potatoes

Magic

Dead an

Magazine

Who could be their helper on the outside

Pristis

In the classroom, Dr. Foulston hung large and highly detailed drawings on the walls and passed out printed material.

”I would appreciate it if you keep these drawings and written material within your hospital. Do not tell outsiders about these hypothetic people. We maker contact with other races of human some from places in the so called ‘lands of savages’. These drawings are hypothetical and the faces are also hypothetical. Take a couple of minutes to examine therm.”

Everyone in the room immediately recognized the pictures of Dent, Ten, KG, and every other member of Dent’s “tribe”. They did not reeognize the details drawings of Dent’s wife and those who had died in the House of Assassins or “on the road”. Observers behind the walls

We have 5 meical doctors, 20 medical assistants and ten emergency technicians. The medical doctors and medical assistants have training and experience in birthing. The emergency technicians are intended to work on fishing boats and courier boats. They have some book learning regarding birthing procedures and might be helpful in absoluteluy uneventfujl deliveries. Beyond that, they are useless. They would go beyond their comfort zones almost immediately. Finally, Dent, what of your people?”

“Lies can become truth, if we let them.”

Shadow president: the truth about mike pence

QRT

Ferdibrand

Mahu Anouke

Rowena, De`nt, KG and James as well as the young Hobbit Emma were in Rowena and Dent’s living room. KG was telling a story of one of the training exercises they had conducted in the House of Assassins.

”We were told to make a conventional exit from the House and merge in with troops parading in front of the House. We did a quick recon through a series of ‘murder holes’ above the major hallway we needed to walk across to leave the House through a major exit. There were guards in position to stop us. We then backed up, went to a window overlooking a side exit and did that wall crawling thing to make it to the roof of the building next to the House. We were able to make it to a platform on the other building and entered the other building. We patrolled to the main floor, left this building and joined the patrolling troops at a distance from the House.”

Dent Rowena and the other adults appalled at her story. But the story did not have the total happy response KG had hoped for. Emma, who was very young, burst into tears.

’I will never do anything as exciting as that. Never! I am not worthy,” and began to sob loudly.

KG hugged the suddenly distaurt child.

’You are very worthy Emma! You are liked and respected and loved. You are a very intelligent and competent and loving person. You have a glorious life ahead of you; your parents are very proud of you and the rest of us are very proud of you!”

The upset child ran to her parents who held her.

’I wonder where she learned that,” Rowena murmured.

’From him,” KG snapped while pointing at Dent.

”I’m afraid I am guilty,” Dent admitted.

The party went on for some time before Emma’s parents took her to their quarters and before James and KG went back to their home in one of the spires where their children and their other four wives and their children were.

”I believe they are too far from us to hear. Was their escape quite as easy as KG made it sound?”

”Not quite,” Dent replied with a laugh. “Some of my spotters saw KG look into the murder hole above the secondary entrance and then withdraw. We didn’t expect them to make an exit down the wall of the House as it was daylight and we were told to avoid ‘Monk activities’ when outsiders could see us. Their transit through the house next door and its main door went without notice. They were noticed in the group of soldiers.”

”They were?”

”Yes, they were noticed for being too military.”

Both laughed and, in the distance, KG and family heard this and wondered what the joke was…

In the distance, at the Temple of the Way in the Central City, the entire membvership of the rebuilt Temple gathered on the exercise floor. They had some visitors including the Grandfather, the Father, the Grandons and all the surviving parents and aunts and Uncles of Dent and his brothers and sisters.

For days, Loraine had felt the increasingly urgent belief that Dent really was dead. She finallyo knbew it was time to declare him dead. The paperwork was easily pushed through the city government and it was time to acknowledge the deathers of Dent and all those who had left the Centyral City withy him.

Loraine declared: “It greifes me to acknowledge that my Dent is dead. I am going to read a poem that Dent and I had to read at times.

I Heard Your Voice In The Wind Today[4]

I heard your voice in the wind today~
and I turned to see your face~ ..
The warmth of the wind caressed me~!
as I stood silently in place.~

I felt your touch in the sun today!~
as its warmth filled the sky .~.
I closed my eyes for your embrace~
and my spirit soared high.~

As I watched the falling rain ..~
It seemed as each raindrop fell~
it quietly said your name.~

I held you close in my heart today~
it made me feel complete ..~
You may have died .. but you are not gone~

As long as the sun shines~
the wind blows~
the rain falls ..~
You will live on inside of me forever~
for that is all, my heart knows.~

</center>

Then her puzzled children were lead off by their relatives for some quiet conversation and play with toys and Loraine went off with her unofficial fiancé to quietly mourne the now late Dent.

<hr>

Aunt Noreme's Coffee Cake

Noreme is an old friend of my mother, someone she went to high school and college with in the 1940s. So, this recipe has been tested by my family since the 1950s.

 1 stick oleo (or butter)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Mix sugar and oleo until puffy.

Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream, then beat.

Add dry ingredients and mix.

Pour half of batter into greased baking pan (a loaf shaped pan).

Mix 1/2 cup sugar with tsp cinnamon.

Pour half of this over the batter.

Put remainder of batter into pan and pour remaining topping over this batter.

Bake in 350 F oven for 45 to 55 min.

Pitrov ap Gina Monk

Dorna ab Willard Monk’s wife and a Monk

Debra ab Pitrov Monk’s 9 year old daughter

Stephen ap Debra Daughters take Father first name

Sons take Mother first name

Time (the Present)

Meditations on the Umbra - the descendant of genetically modified Orc and Mem er of the House 0f Dent. He was raised by his Orish parents and family but was also one of the “Minders of the Vary Young” (baby sitter for Dent’s family and Hobbits).

Sheriff of the City, Willis Meyers Foulston.

Loraine, wife of Dent

He had perhaps 15 sets of criteria and these were

“It turns out, the big question for life is: what are we having for dinner?” Will Smith

Work in the invaders were soldiers sent for temporary housing at the House of Assassins.

Π Clarify the children were genetically engineered by Mages attached to the House of Assassins.

Π Mention they were Monks bro g trained in different acts of violence.

ΠThis Prelude was meant to show the story from Dent's fami!it's point of view. I can put more such interludes into the coming stoty. I still think 3 sections could work. Section 1 about Dent, his future wife, establishing the duties of the Western Grandfather of Assassid, starting first intelligence collection sources and dealing with the new generations of his people.

* * *

ΠCoins and make them as the French diid.

ΠDefining how the intelligence could be extracted from various sources. Use existing intelligence agencies and put in New data and sources. Use Wikipedia for source material.

π First one, then a second invader enter the room. He attacks Dent. Dent slammed him in groin with heavy hilt of dagger and then straighter his victim target and plunged his dagger next to the man's left collar bone and into his heart. A quick slash and blade withdrawal left the dying man in shock as he bled out internally.

πLorrain 😈 attacks second 🚹 man with heavy club and dagger blows, blocking his dagger thrust and finished him off with a dagger blow to his solar plexus.

π"What the bloody he'll is going on," Dent asked his equally puzzled wife.

ΠA third intruder burst into the outer room, saw the two

bodies and shouted "I was told to take you alive but I can kill you in self defense!"

πThe man raised his long sword and sealed his fate as a poisoned crossbow quarrel pierced the insider's boiled leather armour.

merde

;

‘+\[p;

Uncle Forrest, Aunt Thea

[1]Babylon 5: Mediations of the Abyss (#5.14)" (1998

C'est la guerre is French for “it is the war”. All things can be excused for that reason.

[2]C'est la vie’ if French for “it is life”. Not quite as despairing. “

[3] (Sympathy Poems – Funeral Poems) Author unknown

[4]

[i] I found this lovely picture on line and tried to track down the copyright owner but failed in this.

[-p]\l;.’/
“MEN” A Pictortial Archiver From Ninerterernth-Century Coursers, Selected by Jim Hartne\[ii]

My writings, old and new...

Contributors

Sunday, June 25, 2023

"Marching Into Hell" (poem)

2018 Dent

I Heard Your Voice In The Wind Today[4]

Aunt Noreme's Coffee Cake

[3] (Sympathy Poems – Funeral Poems) Author unknown